Of Kings and Queens
by V.T. Reaver
Summary: "The planting of the great trees, their purpose I alone know. It was to be a place where kingdoms rise ... If the true king lives then the tree must too" Newly arrived Istar Vera the Green, botanist, prison escapist, tree talker, wanderer, singer of songs, flower peddler, travels the LOTR universe meeting the characters we love. Written in a Tolkien Style. Sans Romance. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Tree and Truth

Vera opened her eyes. She was lying in the clearing on a particularly damp patch of the forest, clear save one old tree. Where she was specifically besides what her eyes told her she did not know. She was supposed to wait for someone, however she had forgotten about who this someone might me. It had been a particularly long journey for her, long enough that one would become entirely forgetful.

She was clothed in green robes and an emerald pointed hat. A scepter set with a clear crystal lay with in her hands reach slightly askew. Immediately she knew it was hers, though mostly everything else she had forgotten.

"Where am I?" She said remembering how to speak suddenly. Then she remembered to take a breath, for it seemed most useful in the art of thoughtful speaking. She listened for a response, and of course, it would seem odd to us since we have a non-magical disposition. There was no one around to converse with, not even a blue jay that enjoyed this time of day. It was a midmorning summer, warm and dewy. Yet there was an answer whispering among the leaves.

"It is you, cultivator in the days of old" An old birch tree replied for its memory reached far back. The old birch was cousin the wily Willow in the west. This was in the language of trees, which we non-magic folk cannot hear, or else we would hear this quite often "There's no need for that ax. I'm sure we can work this out like two respectable gentlemen". The old birch tree that spoke was far larger than the surrounding foliage away from the clearing. Many called it the First Tree. It dwarfed the other trees, a saying elves commonly said, which was of course very offensive to dwarves.

"Indeed, though I do not recognize you Sir Birch. I have come from far across the vale, though I cannot remember why or how or what I am to do here," said Vera in the language of men, which as it happens the trees understand. In fact, this is why they grow frightfully shy at the mention of axes among men.

The old birch tree laughed, and it appeared as though wind filtered through its dark green leaves.

"You are in Mirkwood, formally Greenwood which in turn was formally a few young sprouts of which I was among. Ones which you planted and protected lest we were trampled underfoot by mares or stripped bare by bucks" said the Birch again in the way of trees. Trees liked to speak in flowery polite cadence, as did Vera.

Vera understood where she was now. She was in a wood called Mirk. The place she had been last time when she first crossed the vale into the world of men and elves. She attempted now to stand for she had been sitting up against said tree. She found that she had a terrible limp, wounded from her trip.

"I am hurt and too weak to mend myself, please speak among your kin and call for help" Vera pleaded, and at once most loyal to her as a young sapling is to its mother the old birch called for help. The trees whispered among themselves up the valley to the elven caverns further north.

"She is hurt, come at once to the sacred clearing to the shadow of the first tree" whispered the trees, and the elves heard and quickly ran to alert the great Elvenking. They did not know what the trees meant by "She", but elves are quite polite and honorable in the aid of the wounded. The Elvenking sent forth a dozen sentinels on a dozen mares to seek out the "She is hurt" person and bring her here for treatment, and of course intensive third degree questioning (as was law).

The twelve sentinels quickly came to the area in question as the trees whispering became ever more urgent. Tauriel among the twelve went ahead first in case there was danger. She saw the girl in green leaning on the First Tree.

"Hello, I am Tauriel, head of the elven guard." Tauriel said gently as she stepped in to the shadow of the clearing.

"I was waiting for someone, though I think that it was not you, all the same I am in need of help. Perhaps you and your friends eleven can give me sanctuary as I wait" the strange green girl replied.

"My bone is broken and I cannot stand properly. " The girl continued. Tauriel looked at the girl, she was fair as any elven maid yet her ears did give her mortality away. Tauriel closed the distance between them and let the girl put and arm over her shoulder.

Two more elves appeared and helped her onto Tauriel's mare. Tauriel leapt on as well and they galloped fiercely to the caverns.

"Farewell Sir Birch" The girl said to the First Tree and to the elves' surprise, it replied. The First Tree did not speak with the elves, for it did not particularly like the company of babes.

"Fare thee well Lady Cultivator," replied the First Tree. A look of puzzlement crossed the fair elven faces of the sentinels, Tauriel included.

"What business did you have with the First Tree, my lady?" Tauriel said politely to the girl who was very much like a Halfling in stature but taller by a bit. The girl had her arms wrapped around Tauriel's waste and pressed her cheek against the hair cascading down her lower back. It was very odd for the girl to be so close since they were not even properly aquatinted yet.

It was however of no fault of Vera, she was not properly acquainted with the manner of elves or of men for that manner. She had only been in the realm a very short time. Touching ones cheek to another ones hair was a very private manner for elves.

"My name is Vera," Vera said smiling. Even though, they were now properly acquainted Tauriel felt no respite on the oddities of their guest.

"I was there waiting for someone, whom you unfortunately are not, when I called Sir Birch to aid me in my distress" Vera began to explain.

"The First Tree speaks to none of the Eldar and mortals alike." Tauriel explained in reply.

"This may be true, for I did not hear Sir Birch address you at your arrival, I thought it strangely rude. However, it is not my place to reprimand my host in this wood of Mirk. The First Tree as you say, speaks to me since I am neither mortal nor Elf" Vera said most politely, had she had the strength and had this been a more stationary situation she would have taken off her pointed emerald hat respectfully.

They however were ridding at a quick pace to the Kings Caverns where the Elvenking Thranduil waited most impatiently.

"Neither mortal nor Elf? Please do not speak to me in riddles, for I am not very good at them. I prefer the talking of the direct and clear," Tauriel said with a touch of impatience. She was not one that spoke in the ways of trees nor did she want to.

"I am Vera the Green of the order Wise," Vera said very straightforward. Tauriel was still bewildered, but she knew Wise.

"Istari" said the guard to the left. He had been listening very intently to their conversation.

The guards carried her to the healing ward. The elves politely braced her wound. The bone had not been broken but misaligned. The elves gave her buttered bread and mead. She smiled at them thankfully. They did not dare speak or ask her anything for that was the job of the great Elvenking. She sighed when she had her fill and looked up at the elves that tended to her.

"I must return to the First Tree. I cannot recall but feel it is important that I should wait there," Vera explained. The elves remained silent. She trusted them to lead her back to the sacred clearing however they betrayed her trust. They lead her to the royal throne room where the Elvenking sat nonchalantly. Though it was really a farce since he was quite anxious. The green girl as he had heard of by now had gotten past many a sentinel to get to the sacred clearing of the First Tree.

"Who are you?" He asked first. The girl looked around scowling for a spell at the elves who did not take her back to the First Tree. Then the look vanished replaced by bewilderment as she turned to the Elvenking. She knew at once to take off her hat to the one that wore a floral woodland crown. Vera's face was clearly lit and the Elvenking marveled at her Emerald eyes.

"I am Vera the Green and I know this is dreadfully rude but I must return to the First Tree at once" Vera began

"You are right to say that you are being dreadfully rude. It is insulting indeed to come and leave without conversing with your host" The Elvenking cutting her off.

"What are you doing here? Perhaps you did not know it is against the law to trespass on this land," Thranduil said coldly.

"I did not know it was wrong of me to trespass on this land. This was the land where I sowed the trees and did plant its first fruits. How can I trespass where I have passed first? " Vera said, which she said politely although the meaning was not so polite. It meant, "I was here first … liar"

The Elvenking wanted to scoff but did not since he knew it was unbecoming of a king. The girl before him did not look so old, older than he if her claim was true. It was true however though the king did not believe it.

"If you are immortal as you say, then perhaps you should sit a spell, a hundred years should be long enough." He said to her then he turned to his guards "Take her away"

The elves standing to the side of her did not want to "Take her away" for she seemed odd and dangerous. However they would obey their great King that had ruled for three millennia. They each took one of the girls' arms.

She simply gasped at their rude behavior towards her. Then she took out her scepter, which was concealed, in her robes. She was gone in flash of brilliant and blinding white light. When the elven guards recovered their sight with copious blinking, they set off on their mares in search of her. She wanted to go to the first tree and they raced toward the sacred clearing.

However Vera was very clever and did not go to the first tree, also the magic gate was shut which barred the way. She was still in the cavern very near the surface so that she should whisper to the roots of trees. The brilliant flash of light did not magically transport her to the place she wanted to go. That is not how magic works, for if it could a certain ring could magically be transported to a doomed mountain for quick disposal.

She simply blinded her captors so that she could slip away. She quickly climbed the staircase on her sore but bound leg and the steps were luckily not guarded for the guards had left for the First Tree in pursuit of her. She had made her way very high up to the cavern roof where the tree roots grew in. There was a rather precarious precipice un-railed where the roots grew close.

"You must tell the one who I am waiting for, but keep this from the ears of elves that I cannot meet him. I am being held captive by savage elves with unreasonable questions. Pray he rescues me from the Elvenking of this Mirkwood," She said. Then she recalled the one whom she was waiting for.

"Tell the Brown wizard this, the one called Radagast," She hastily added.

"Indeed we will, Vera the Green" They said respectfully. Thranduil was surprised to see the Green girl had not left the cavern instead she went to the place he himself liked to come for thinking. He had heard her words to the roots protruding from the cavern ceiling. Even more surprising was that the trees respected her commands as though she were a queen. Trees did not usually like scurrying things

"Now was that so hard, you could have told me you were looking for the Brown wizard?" Thranduil said. The girl turned around quickly, and she was quite startled. So startled in fact, and partly because her ankle was still sprained that she tripped and fell from the precipice.

It was the Elvenkings quick acting, which prevented the end before even the middle of this tale. He swiftly ran and extended his carven oak staff so that she could grab on. With the strength of elves he lifted her up with one arm and set her down again upon the ground.

"That was dangerous, who would make such a dangerous place. I could have slipped and then had to make the trip all over again. It was a long trip too, across the vale," She said with tears in her eyes and panic in her voice. This was what she said though was she meant to say was "Thank you"

Then she held on to his sleeve and signaled him to lead her away from the precipice with a tug. The Elvenking was taken aback for the holding of one's sleeve was a most private affair in the eyes of an elf. You must excuse Vera, for the Istari's views on the holding of sleeves is a manner of no importance. In this case it simply was an act of fear for falling by one temporarily lame.

Then when the Elvenking had led her safely away from the precipice, a brilliant light attacked his eyes. The Green girl attempted the same trick twice. Little did she know that elves never fall for the same trick twice as men often do. So if you were thinking she would escape by barrel like our friend Mr. Baggins, you were unfortunately wrong, as the Elvenkings deductive reasoning led him to secure the barrel dock. It was now a place of unnecessary procedure and prodding much like a modern day airport. The Elvenking grabbed her arm until the light of her scepter dimmed. She struggled most unbecomingly by slapping at him but then sighed and conceded.

"Fine throw me in the dungeon if you must, keep me there until my hair falls out and I become sinister with boredom," She said relentlessly with a rather whiny voice. Again I should remind you Vera did not know it was important that a prisoner keep their dignity, and the proper response would have been an indignant glare and silence at her captor.

Thranduil hand delivered the Green girl, who twice attempted to bite said hand. He hastily closed the prison cell lest she try for his fingers again. She pouted in the corner for a fair while then rolled over into slumber. She was very tired from the journey across the vale, and even more tired at being tossed about by elves.

Vera dreamed very strange and startling dreams concerning the falling of her kind. The wizard of many colors who proved to be very unwise indeed and the one dark sorcerer who nearly ended middle earth. She did not want to take the path of these both unwise and dark, yet she could not control herself for she though old in age was young in the ways of the world.

She was angry, cold and very bitter at those who imprisoned her. Luckily for her, she would not be imprisoned much longer. Indeed she was very lucky, as lucky as the hobbit that escaped here the first time. For in her cell among the mortar and stone was a tiny root which had grown into the cell. It was a thin sliver that was revealed but a great and tremendous root conceal by rock.

She awoke in the night for she had fallen asleep in the afternoon. There was a tray of bread, cheese, and mead in her cell. She refused to touch it and pouted most unceremoniously at the captors by the door.

" Swine, liars and swindlers" she said blackly at the door. The elven guards reviled at her word and stood farther from the door, lest tempted to engage her as one of them wanted to do. "Attercop" He wanted to say, however he knew she was an Istari and did not want to ensue her wrath. So they walked farther and farther from the door. Then when safely out of hearing range, the root in the crack in the wall spoke.

"Emerald Sower " a young Hazel tree said, kin to the First Birch Tree. He whispered ever so slightly that only the Green girl could hear. She stopped mid slur taking her bread and retreated to the corner. The elves were thankful that the surly fair prisoner filled her mouth with bread now rather than insults.

"How shall we aid you in your despair?" The Hazel tree asked. Vera turned her face to the root and very carefully asked the tree to move. It moved.

It wiggled its many deep grown roots and suddenly the mortar and stone came loose. There was now a tiny tunnel for Vera to climb to the surface. When the elven guards came rushing they saw that the cell had caved in. They assumed the girl had been crushed to death. The Elvenking was not so convinced and sent guards to seek the girl.

Vera was quick and quiet and shuck off her ankle bindings. Her foot was whole again due to the miraculous elven healing. She had found the Kings buck from the forest, who normally allowed only him to mount. She urged him quickly to take her out of the dark forest and he obeyed. The guards on their though magnificent mares were hardly a match for the speed of the Kings buck.

The buck would return a few days later, well ridden but also well kept and the Elven king knew that she was out of his grasp. Vera had ridden for two days, stopping at night for rest. The trees offered her un-poisoned fruit that they did not offer lesser men. She and the king's buck ate freely.

"I am sorry to use you so relentlessly. The Elvenking is in pursuit of me on accounts of rudeness" Vera spoke to the Kings buck. The Kings buck replied in the language of men and was orderly for a Kings buck to do so.

"Elves are counted among good people, I do not know why you evade them. Although rudeness is a crime that turns good people into unreasonable ones" The Kings buck said then took an apple that the Green lady offered him.

"Our ranks are thin, only four remain. I cannot afford to be jailed for a century on account of rudeness" Vera replied

"Perhaps next time you might reconsider being rude, especially in the company of kings. I myself, in fact dislike being ridden, but understand the graveness of rude behavior"

"I would be wise indeed to take your council. I thank you Sir Buck for your consideration. If you must take your leave soon, I would not consider it rude," Vera said sadly

"Wise you are, for you are of the order Wise. I will not desert you in this time of need. Remember me and my kin when our time comes." The King's buck simply said.

"I will remember but I think it is indeed time for you to return home. She could see the light clearing in the forest and knew soon she would be out of Mirkwood. What lied beyond she did not care, she needed to get of the forest of the angry Elvenking. A forest she herself planted when the world was young, but that was not a point the king took well.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: If you have never read The Hobbit and still want to be surprised when the third film comes out, SPOILERS, MASSIVE SPOILERS.

Chapter 2: Roosting About

Radagast the brown had gotten the message soon after Vera had said it. "I cannot meet you. I am being held captive by savage elves with unreasonable questions. Pray you rescue me from the Elvenking of this Mirkwood," whispered the trees. However, Radagast was quite indisposed for he was roosting on a clutch of orphaned blue jay eggs. It was a most tremulous melancholy tale of bird plight, and reason why the forest was not full of blue in midmorning summer. Radagast could not rest on his roosting duties.

"Who is this, who speaks with me?" asked the Brown rooster that is one who roosts.

"The Emerald Cultivator, Sower of the First Trees" The trees replied.

"Emerald Cultivator, I don't know any with that title, perhaps it is the one that calls herself Vera the Green," Radagast said more to himself that the tree. Vera the Green was cousin to Radagast the Brown.

"Is she still captive in the Elvenking's hold" asked Radagast.

"No, Sir Hazel helped her escape and indeed she is now free from the forest and headed towards Dale" The trees replied for it is where they spied her last. Trees especially old ones like the first tree are amazing historians, although they are non-discriminatory and the journeying of rabbits is just as important as the warring of men.

"Why didn't you say that first?" exclaimed the Brown. Though he knew, trees are a rather a lawful bunch, and love technicalities and polite customs. Some find them rather stoic.

"We have done what was asked and more," The trees replied indignantly.

"I cannot go, now is the time for sitting and not going" said the tiny fellow. Tiny yet, since Gandalf had set off to the undying lands, he was now the chieftain of their order. It was small order indeed. The blue wizards long left east in younger days. Besides the blue wizards, only he remained and now the Green wizard crossed the vale.

"Tell her if you can, I am indisposed and that she should not to enter Dale" Radagast warned. Dale was place where Lake Men, Dwarves, and Elves all merrily traded. They might not take kindly to a prisoner escapee of the most wrathful Elvenking.

Radagast regretfully had to continue to roost. He remained indisposed for a seventeen-day gestation period then a nesting period of twenty days. He had soon grown tired of the taste of regurgitated worms before the birds could feed themselves and could nest in his hair. It was a particularly coveted piece of real estate.

After a period of thirty-seven days, he was ready to search out for the Green lady. The trees had lost track of her when she left the Mirkwood. There were no trees in Dale and the trees at the base of Erebor were not the magical chatty type.

Vera as quietly as a hobbit who wished to be unseen (which is very quiet indeed) walked close to the town of Dale. She hid in the tall grass at the bank of the river at the mouth of the town. It was a very rich and wealthy place. Much of the town was fine stone. There was a tall gate guarded by serious faced men.

Vera saw elves pass into the town, the gate was open for it was the time of trading. Midsummer was when much honey, wine, and other fine goods came and went. Now that Vera was counted among elf-foes, she could not afford to reveal herself. They were no doubt looking out for her emerald green hat among the tradesmen.

Now it is useful to mention, that I did not in detail before, that Vera had once been this world before. Her origin was here unlike the other Wise Ones she was not of the order since the beginning. She was merely a child of nature much like her friends Tom and Goldberry the river's daughter at the time. Tom and Goldberry had grown with the world and become great in their own terms. However, the forging spirit called her. She crossed the vale and joined the order of the Wise. She shook off her flower clothing and clothed herself in clothing beyond. She had not seen the world again until now.

She did not forget being a child of nature. She took off her Emerald hat and flattened so that it became a perfect circular disk. Then among the tall grass and flowers, she weaved herself a cloth only the children of nature knew how. It looked like fine white silk embroidered with wild golden flowers. She braided water lilies into her raven hair. Then she stole a peak of herself in the glassy river.

A pair of luminous mischievous green eyes looked back at her. She looked just like this when had she left. She did not know if she would fit in or not with the men inside. She did however no longer look like the Green Lady that they were seeking. She tucked her green clothing inside giving her a fuller belly, a bit like a hobbit. Then she picked the flowers of the field in the attempts at a disguise. She weaved a basket from reeds to carry the flowers.

She walked on to the road leading to the gate. Despite her effort, she did not fit in with the mortals. She looked too fair to be mortal. Her fairness was not like an elf rather it was much like the rolling greenery of fine summer field. She was not beautiful like the starlit elves, remote and unapproachable. She was fair like a sun lit field. The tradesmen did not hide their curiosity nor the elves theirs.

Her disguise had worked the elves did not recognize her.

"Hello fair maiden. How did you come upon these parts?" The troop of elves flanking her right asked.

"I came from a very far way?" Vera answered truthfully but rather tersely. Then she walked a bit faster, however the elves laughed among themselves. They quickened pace with her.

"Why are you here?" They asked with a smile bewitched by beauty that was very strange to them.

"I am in the business of flowers and other growing things. I came here to sell these lilies," Vera said showing them the basket of flowers she had picked. They laughed merrily.

"Are you to sell to young lovers? Surely your fair eyes would sow discord among men and their ladies. Ladies would not want flowers from you," The elves said. Vera took it as an insult. Her flowers were very nice, and thought it was a fallacy; she took care in the picking of merchandise.

"Then I shall sell these to elves for the giving to elf maids" Vera said in a rather snarky manner. The elves laughed again with mirth.

"Elves have no uses for buying flowers and the giving of them"

"Then I have no more to say to you" Vera said and stalked off leaving the elves to their laughing.

She arrived at the gate. The gatekeeper looked at a board covering his face.

"State your purpose." He asked monotonously

"I am in the business of selling flowers," Vera answered.

The bemused elves group had caught up and their laughter had not died as they waited behind her to see the Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper had heard many purposes, many of them "Drinking". Selling flowers was not one he had heard before so he but down his board to look at the speaker. The look of the girl surprised him. She looked young but altogether nothing like a regular child. She was otherworldly and clad in flowers. The Gatekeeper had heard stories of flower clad maidens in his youth.

"Where are you from?" He asked sternly. His face was very serious and warty.

"I am from far… over many hills" Vera added as an afterthought.

"Then you are from the west, where the children of nature still live?" asked the Gatekeeper.

"I have been called that before, with my friends Tom Bombadil and Lady Goldberry" Vera mused. She was surprised that anyone still kept count of the children of nature.

The elves laughter ceased behind her. The Gatekeeper laughed however, he took her reply as a joke.

"You are a funny lass, go on now and let me buy a flower from you, oh great Child of Nature" He laughed heartily, warts and all. Vera smiled at him not understanding his sarcasm. She handed him a lily and received a copper coin. Vera examined the copper coin. The selling of flowers in the days of old traded for honey water. Men were strange.

"Thank you for your patronage" She replied and went on. The elves however were now uneasy. She could have been exactly as she said. She looked the part indeed.

Vera did not like the air here. It was thick with smoke and heavy smells of unpleasant foodstuffs. She did not know what to do except peddle flowers and wait for the Brown wizard. She surprisingly got many copper coins for her efforts. She looked very much like a flower maiden and the people found her refreshing.

She smiled as she sold her flowers and then remembered about singing. How had she forgetting about singing. That was what she had done in old days to make the trees grow strong. In fact, the old Willow in the west missed her singing and became a very grumpy old tree for it.

_Hey! Come hither sprout and root! My dear ones!_

_Say you been grown about! Leaf under fair suns!_

_Drink Honey water by the River's Daughter and I _

_A branch that drops its dot and birds that sigh_

_A mare strips bare, a doe eats it though sorely_

_But I am here to keep it so, and it does not fare poorly_

By now, all the people in the market square stopped to listen to her sing. She sang like Goldberry and Tom Bombadil, her good friends of old days. The people stopped moving about and trades stopped mid coin. The elves were now pale with fright but one of them finally recognized her.

"It is the Green girl the one that caused the cave in" The elf whispered to his four companions.

"She is one of them, I know that singing anywhere, she should not be dealt with lightly" another chimed in.

"We should go now and report to the Great King. He will know what to do" The first elf replied. They put their hoods over their heads and left back for Mirkwood. The travel back was not merry at all.

_I have seen the starlit queen, sliver light upon thy leaf_

_Mischief brews under moons! She smiles but very brief_

_My lady and lad are but a bit sad! I say goodbye my darlings!_

_I'll be back my dear in a year, walking under wild starlings!_

Vera finished singing and the square burst into applause.

"I am out of flowers good people, I shall go and get some more" she announced and sneaked away though they wished her to stay.

That night she traded her copper coins, which she thought were rather silly, for a bed at the local inn.

"That is the discounted price miss, stay the night and leave in the morning. We serve a bit of breakfast if you don't mind common fare," the innkeeper said taking the copper coins.

Vera went up to the down bed. She slept in a bed before, when she lived with her friends. This bed was very lumpy to compare. She beat it down with the end of her scepter and rested her head upon the measly pillow.

"What a strange place, perhaps a good night's rest shall restore my memory" Vera said to the air.

Then she sang to herself in the dark quietly.

The Elvenking had no jurisdiction in Dale. He had to make a plea to the King of Dale for the return of the Green girl. They would call the girl to their court where she could make a case. The King of Dale might side with the girl. The Elvenking decided to keep quiet about the escape lest his escape count went up to sixteen. The thirteen dwarves and the Halfling were the first to escape his grasp. Then the miserable creature Gollum added his to the pile. Fifteen escapees were embarrassing enough.

Vera sold flowers under her guise as a peddler. She did not pick to many only enough for a night at the inn. The townspeople paid her for singing and flowers. They would pack in the square whenever they saw her. The elves would try to catch her when she left Dale to pick flowers but the reeds would hide her well and the ground sunk in where they stepped.

On the thirty-ninth day of following the girl out to the riverbanks, they at last tracked her close. They heard her sing as she picked flowers.

_Kings and Queens I have yet seen as fair as you_

_Petals holding red and golden dew_

_The Great White tree in the grand far south_

_There end in grand of a rivers mou…_

The elves heard the girls stop. She must have known they were there. They were quiet though, it could not be!

"Brown Wizard!" she exclaimed

"It is I poor girl, I hope I did not startle you," replied a voice

"I waited for you a bit at the forest but I excited the anger of a King"

"I know my dear. The leaves brought me the news. Tell me girl why are you here?"

"I do not know, I thought you might"

"Why would I know?"

"Perhaps you could tell me what is going on with the world now, things are strange here"

"Yes, you left when the elves first started to setting, and men out of the mud. You must be scared in this world"

"Frightened yes, and also delighted. Look at this" Vera said. Then she showed him a copper coin from her sleeve. "Men seem to like this very much"

Radagast took the copper coin and laughed.

"Ah yes men can eat these little things I suspect, but this is no food for us" Radagast replied knowingly. Vera nodded and tucked the coin back in her sleeve.

"Well now, I suppose you can come out now," said Radagast at the leaves. The elves straightened themselves at once.

"Oh my, that almost never works" Radagast said in surprise when the elves revealed themselves.

"We are… here for the girl," The elves said.

"Ah yes, a bit of trouble with the elves, I suppose we should go and apologize the sensitive king" Radagast answered.

"You are now the head of this order since the white wizard had gone far away. However I think we should run" Vera said between her teeth.

"No no, the white wizard was friends with the Elvenking. He can be reasoned with I'm sure"

"Very well, I will not disobey you in this manner"

The night was strange in the forest. The wood was only recently free from the lure of darkness. Only a year and half had passed since the destruction of the ring. Many strange things walked the in the woods, though now without a leader. The elves led the way and stopped at the halfway mark to rest. They travelled alongside on horse.

"I have been thinking about my time here," Vera said to Radagast. They sat away from the elves and from the only fire. The elves pretended to discuss manners but really, they listened intently.

"I have seen Sir Birch here in the wood but there are other great trees as well. There is the Willow of the west, The Sycamore of the South and the Elm of the East that I must see and speak with. Perhaps they can tell me what I am here to do"

"I am not familiar with these names. I don't know any trees like this. The Birch of the North seems like a rather silly title…" Radagast said

"She means the White Tree of Gondor, that is the Sycamore of the South," an elf replied, he could not help himself.

"Then I must go there at once" Vera replied. She got up at once and walked to the fire to sit beside the elves

"You promised us you would return to our great King to make amends"

"Then I shall but then I must go south to see Sir Sycamore" Vera said. The elves looked among themselves, and did not wish to tell her bad news.

"The White Tree of Gondor is dead, The King of Gondor did try to replant a new tree, but the tree could not be moved" The elves replied. Vera's eyes widened at the mention of "dead" but then her expression became perplexed.

"The planting of the great trees, their purposes I alone know. It was to be a place where kingdoms rise and the beacon for kings. The Birch tree was for your great Elvenking, the Sycamore for the King of Men, and the Willow for the Master of Nature. If the true king lives then the tree must too." Vera explained

"He is the true king indeed, but the tree is dead," The elves said in unison. When Vera explained the meaning of the trees, she seems no longer a mischievous child but a very powerful Istari. Vera pulled out her copper coin and sniffed at it. The moment passed, her demeanor seemed to shrink until she became a girl again.

"All the more to go and see" Vera finally said.

The elves walked the forest floor quickly. The tree roots did not hinder them since the Green lady was with them.

"Do you think your Elvenking is still angry at me?" Vera asked as they approached the end of their walking

"You think a month or two would assuage his anger, you are wrong," the Elf replied truthfully

"I thought as much, those kissed by dragon's fire are not usually a very calm bunch," Vera said. The elves stopped in their tracks.

"So you can see it… I shall advise you well then since you gave us the tree apples last night, do not mention the scar" The elves replied

"I don't see the big deal," Vera said finally as they approached the gate.

"The King is in counsel with his son, this prisoner can wait I'm sure" The guardsmen replied.

Radagast and Vera waited in the throne room. They wanted to try sitting on the throne but thought better of it. Tauriel was standing on guard and welcomed them in.

"I see you have returned to apologize to the King," Tauriel said suspiciously.

"How shall I apologize, what have other escapees said" Vera asked.

Tauriel thought of the other escapees. However, it was painful for her, since Kili among the dead in battle of five armies.

"None were so bold as to return once escaped" Tauriel said tersely. She was still greatly sad over him but did not die from the sadness. She would not meet in the afterlife, for mortals and the Eldar did not usually share fates.

At that moment, the King appeared alongside his son. He seemed unfazed at the Green girls' reappearance but inside his heart beat quickly. In her time gone, he had gone through all the old books and she appeared but once.

"Vera the Green, my prisoner returns," He said coldly hiding his anxiousness.

"I come to apologize and plead for a shorter sentence"

"I am listening, tell me what do you and the Brown wizard have to say?"

"I can give you something of value and perhaps you can let me go"

"What do you have that I want?"

"When the earth was young there were many wild beasts about. Great water spirits in the east and beast of fire in the north roamed the land. I did encounter many Dragons…"

"What is the meaning of this?" Thranduil said very angrily. The scar on his face began to show, but like glimmer on water it vanished.

"I too was kissed by fire but I have not a scar to show for it and it could be so for you as well" Vera finished quickly

"The greatest healers in the world could not heal this mark, believe me I know"

"I cannot heal this mark but I can tell you how it can be done. It is knowledge long gone I suspect"

"How then, tell me and I shall let you go"

Vera told the king how he might heal the mark. The king took her advice and disappeared for a few days. I however cannot disclose the information to you, as some might think it unsavory. Just know the King road north on the king's buck telling no one about it. Vera stayed behind as a prisoner until it could be confirmed that her advice was true


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I have yet to see the new hobbit movie, even though it has been out for months. I will just have to wait for it to come out on DVD…. So you can see why it took a year for the next part of this story to come out. I am a busy bee indeed. I might add a chapter to all my unfinished stories this week.

"You are free to go" The King said. He was free from the burn of the dragon's fire. Though occasionally he would involuntarily shudder from the means he took to get rid of it. Trust me, that is saying something. The Elven King rarely was unsettled.

"If we are on even terms, then may I ask a favor of you?" Vera asked, for she knew that she had to as quickly as possible visit Sir Sycamore.

"If I grant you a favor then we would not be on even terms anymore," The King replied. Though in truth he was not keen on keeping tabs anymore, and was more incline to indulge the girl a favor.

"I need a horse, and perhaps a guide to take me to the White Tree of Gondor," Vera asked.

"Do you not know where the tree is? Did you not plant it yourself?" The King asked rather too playfully for his previous character. His subjects took notice of it though they did not show it.

"The water has cut great valleys into the land. Volcanoes have spewed forth great hills. Time erases all things. Places where there will be no trees to tell me the way. There are great chasms and caves which I know nothing about." Vera replied rather forlorn.

"Indeed, since if you knew, you would have asked for a boat" The King replied, and the barest hint of laughter touched his eyes.

"I will take you" Legolas replied. Speaking quite frankly out of turn.

"I will take you," Tauriel said stepping in front Legolas. Speaking even more out of turn.

"Silence!" The King commanded, his stern demeanor reappearing once more "This is a rather long journey. You must also visit the other trees? I would not send my son or the lead of my guard to aid you. Of course you can see why"

"The path of Willow, I hear, will be safe travels since the Master of Nature keeps the road" Vera replied. "I would go it alone after arriving at Minas Tirith"

"And the Elm of the East in Mordor? It is a foul land once housing the greatest evil in all of history," Thranduil countered. He did not suspect what was to follow

"I will not visit the Elm, for I greatly hope that it is dead," Vera said "It was not my fault; I planted it under great duress"

"What are you saying?" Thranduil asked. He knew there was a story; his interrogator instincts told him so.

And then the two Elves that previously escorted her here remembered something. The trees were planted in places where great kingdoms would rise.

"You planted the Elm of the east for a beacon of evil" Accused the Elf. Everyone was speaking out of turn today, which was starting to miff the King.

"Explain yourself Vera" The King said sternly.

The Brown Wizard had also heard of this in whispers and rushed sentences from Gandalf. He was curious now to hear it from the Girl herself.

Vera burst into tears suddenly, as she told her tale between wretched forlorn cries.

"I planted three trees of my own will, in happiness. One for my friend Tom Bombadil the Master of Nature. When he met Goldberry, I realized I was quite lonely. I decided to travel the land to see what it had in store for me. The Elven were building the beginnings of this great cavern when I arrived. I told them I would plant them a tree. It would bless the land and it would become a beautiful forest. Then I traveled south. There were Men, brutish and poorly mannered but fun loving and wild. I planted them a tree on the mountain, and told them it would hold the rock. They began to build a great fortress"

Then the tale finally turned dark. The room was silent, not even a hushed whisper, only the ragged sobs of the poor girl.

"I went east. There was something there, dark and cruel. It made the Men become vile beast. The Elven turned into dark creatures with sharp fangs. They became Orcs and Goblins. I wouldn't plant them a tree. They captured me, burned me with dragons fire." Vera continued

Thranduil suspected they did other things to her that she didn't mention. Great horrors flashed across her eyes and remained unspoken.

"I planted them a tree, and I sang to it a song which would make it a king's beacon one day. It has always been my greatest regret, that I did not die instead. The great evil would have not taken root in this world." Vera finally finished, and then she collapsed on her knees in quiet regretful sobs.

"My sweet cousin, of course it is not your fault" Radagast said soothingly taking the girl into his tiny arms. They could only reach three quarters way way around her shoulders.

Vera let a final sob out. She wiped her eyes. The expression of ancient sadness that clouded her eyes faded. Her face became blank.

"Leave at day break. Travel the road west to the river. There you will meet Elrond who will take you to Minas Tirith. He along with his family will be traveling there anyway. There is a celebration in three weeks time. Aragon's son Eldarion will be turning two. "

"If you knew all that then why…" Radagast began.

"It is not your place to question a King" Thranduil said acidly. Then he swiftly rose from his throne and walked out the door disappearing from sight.

"Come Vera, we will leave in the morning at first light" Radagast said pulling along the limp doll that was Vera.

The Elves worked silently through the night, since they required little sleep. They packed two ponies for the travelers. They filled the sacks with lembas and mead by orders of the King. Vera had little rest as well. She tossed fervently through the night. She didn't expect to tell her sad story to everyone. She knew that story was not as sad as she explained. Was she not rescued in the end by the Valar, her body repaired, her heart restored? Did they not take her across the vale, and cure her sorrows with the wonders of magic? Did they not return her child like state, innocent and carefree?

Vera finally fell asleep to the lull of her own singing. The elves outside her room, strictly there to guard her (lest she escape in the night), became quite enchanted at her singing. She dreamed of the Willow, and how it had become a grumpy old stump of a tree, long to hear her voice again.

Radagast gently shook Vera awake. It was still dark.

"Hurry, breakfast is cooking, and then we'll have to be on our way," He said rather in a rush but he seemed quite cheerful.

The rest had restored Vera's humor as well. She quickly got dressed in her silky white floral clothing and ran downstairs. There was a small meal at the head of a long carved table. Radagast beckoned Vera to sit next to him. Legolas sat beside Tauriel, the seat to the left of him empty. Thranduil was not present, and it looked as no one was expecting him. Everyone had already begun eating

Suddenly a burst of laughter erupted in the hall. It was a booming gruff laugh. Vera turned her head towards the source of it. A hairy furry dwarf peeked in. Legolas broke into a beaming smile.

"It is good to see you again Gimli," Legolas said first.

"Aye, tis been too long indeed" Gimli heartily replied. His beady eyes that seemed to be hidden in his monstrous beard scanned the room.

"And who is the lass?" Gimli asked, eyeing Vera suspiciously.

"I am Vera the Green of the order Wise," Vera said politely. Gimli simply laughed and took a seat next to Legolas.

"Oh I suspect that we were short on your kind. It's good then" Gimli said taking a mouthful of food.

"It will be good to visit Aragon, the lot of us together again" Gimli said cheerfully "Except Frodo of course, I was sad to see him go"

"Oh no, did your friend…" Vera asked, her voice full of concern but Gimli cut her off quickly.

"Nay, he took off for the undying lands, he and Gandalf." Gimli said with sadness, well as much sadness as one can convey with two cheeks full of buttered bread.

"We best be going soon" Legolas said, when everyone had their fill. Radagast took some bread and reached up to his hair. Two blue jays quickly snatched it up.

"Good" Radagast simply said.

Three ponies and two horses awaited them at the gate. Two blond ponies packed by the elves, and third grey one that belonged to Gimli.

"It will be three days travel through the forest. We will meet Elrond by the river," Legolas explained as he took the lead. The path of the forest was well kept now that the sinister elements had since receded. They traveled comfortably until the sunset and they stopped to make camp by the side of the road.

"What is this?" Vera asked curiously as she unloaded the things in her pack. There were tiny packages wrapped in green leaves.

"Lembas, er… waybread. Precautionary, I doubt our travels will be quite that long. The gesture was nice," Legolas said rather awkwardly. He wondered why his father would ask such a thing to be packed.

"So it's food," Vera said cautiously. She opened the package and took a small nibble of it. It was sweet and pleasant. She felt instantly full. "That is rather interesting"

Gimli laughed at her Vera's perplexed expression. Radagast joined in when her expression did not change.

"What is in this?" Vera finally asked looked at the bread with an intensity that could cook an egg.

"Secret" Tauriel simply replied with a smirk.

"I'd rather have some apples to be honest," Radagast said while tending to the blue jays. He sighed, there seemed to be none twittering about these days.

Tauriel swiftly stood up and walked to a nearby tree to grab some apples for Radagast.

"Poisoned, the ones on the right, the ones to left should be okay" Vera called after her.

"Magical Elven bread might be a mystery, but trees are my strength" Vera shrugged after Tauriel gave her a quizzical look.

Though mostly purged of evil, it was still quite gloomy in the forest. It was wet and moldy. Wherever the ponies trotted, there seemed to be sound of wet mud. As the time progressed, Vera seemed to develop a layer of muck on her skin that would not be removed. The Elves seemed impervious to it. Tauriel and Legolas both looked impeccable to a fault.

Vera was sleeping as soundly as one could, in a damp cold uninviting forest. The trees covered her for the most part from any wet dripping things. She was awoken by a rasping gasping sound. Her eyes reluctantly peeled open. Legolas was standing over Gimli. He was laying flat on the ground gagging at something. Vera shot up and dashed to the scene. Beside Gimli lay a small apple with a single bite in it.

"Oh no, he ate one of the poisoned ones!" Vera said with intense alarm.

"I told him not to, but he didn't hear me," The tree in question said. "It's a sleeping apple, once he's stops gagging…"

Gimli finished gagging and immediately started snoring.

"I suppose it's for the best, I'm not particularly fond of dwarfs. In fact, it was dwarves that chopped down my uncle. He made a fine dresser but still," The tree finally said.

"How are we to wake him up" Vera said.

"Only a drink of water from the great river can awaken him of course, silly girl" The young tree said. Then and older tree, a broad and twisted Birch reprimanded him

"Do not speak to the Emerald Sower this way" He said to the young apple tree.

"Forgive him my lady, he is only fifty. He's just a wee sapling by all accounts" The Birch said to Vera with reverence. "That's why he makes all these sleeping apples. He's going through a rebellious phase"

"We are still a day's ride from the River" Vera sighed. "I suppose there is nothing to be done"

Vera saw Tauriel take a few of the sleeping apples and tuck them into her pack. Vera wondered why, but decided against asking.

Legolas took care of the sleeping passenger. He combed out his beard and braided it into a fine tapestry during the night. Vera thought it strange how Legolas doted on the Dwarf but did not say anything about it. Tauriel seemed not to mind it either, in fact she found it quite amusing. All the time there was the sound of soft snoring, which put a hazy feeling in the air.

Vera was longing for some sunlight desperately after three days. When the light finally broke into view signaling the end of the forest, Vera found herself galloping at great speed towards it.

Open fields, glorious. It was now early fall, the fields were covered in amber wheat and tall yellow grass.

"It's only half a day's walk to the river, perhaps we should stop for some lunch and be on our way" Legolas suggested.

"He's missed two meals" Vera said nodding to the sleeping dwarf "I wonder if he'll be upset by it"

"Dwarves are a bit touchy on the subject of meals, best not mention it to him I suppose" Tauriel said with a smile, but her eyes seemed wistful and sad.

Vera noted her sadness but seemed again reluctant to bring it up. She instead plucked the yellow grass and golden blades of wheat and fashioned a glorious crown. Truly, it was though she weaved sunlight into it. It was fit for a queen. Then she placed it on Tauriel's head.

"I am but a lowly Silvan elf, I am not worthy of a crown as fine as this" Tauriel said blushing. She did not remove the crown.

"Nay, you are indeed worthy of it" Vera said cheerfully. Then she took more wheat from the field and as though by magic produced a frilly airy golden frock. Vera's previous dress that she fashioned from the lilies growing by Dale had become soiled and ragged in the forest. Tauriel noted that Vera still had her original green clothing with her. She wondered why Vera did not wear that instead.

"Ah I feel so much better now" Vera said after she discarded the Lily dress.

They begun to pack their things up to a make the last legs of the journey when Radagast sighed a melancholy sigh..

"Vera…. I cannot leave the forest, something is wrong, I must stay behind with the Blue Jays for now" Radagast suddenly said solemnly. Vera nodded as though she knew he would say it.

"I know Cousin, you must turn around and tend this forest a bit longer, and I know the trees will help you in lieu of me" Vera said sadly. Radagast gave Vera a hug and scuttled off into the forest. I know it might seem a bit callus to leave with so little a word. Though you should have suspected as much. The Istari were notorious for leaving travelers at the edges of forests.

They made it to River at last. Along the edge was a string of nine small boats (Each could fit about five men comfortably). Elves seemed to be waiting along the banks, singing merry songs. Silver tents of strange gossamer material were dotting the shore suggesting that they had been there for at least a night.

"I will revive my sleeping friend, Tauriel perhaps you should introduce Vera to Elrond" Legolas suggested. Tauriel nodded

"This way Vera" Tauriel gestured with her hands. They made their way through the camp. Elven chatter died as all eyes followed the Girl. A stern looking elf sat upon a log, flanking his sides a pair of twins.

"Lord Elrond, It is good to see you again. This is Vera the Green of the Order Wise" Tauriel said formally gesturing to the girl.

"Why do they not call you the Golden?" Elrond mused noting her clothing. Vera had suddenly become frightfully shy at the sight of them. They were not like the Elves that she was used to. They seemed different somehow, less ethereal and yet lovelier to behold. She stepped behind Tauriel's leg, hiding as a small child might.

"The Woodland King sent us word of you, he wrote that you were bold and full of fire" Elrond teased "You do not seem that way to me, a prison escapee, a song peddler, and a skilled trickster, hardly?"

Vera looked at the Elrond then to the ground then to Elrond again, and then her eyes flickered between the twins.

"These are my sons, Elrohir and Elladan" Elrond said nodding first his left then to his right. Vera wanted to say something but her mouth suddenly felt very dry, and her tongue as heavy as stone.

"Greetings Wise one, It is an honor to meet you" Elrohir said respectfully. Vera blushed, and her rosy cheeks offset her startled green eyes.

"Likewise Vera the Green of the order Wise" Elladan continued. He paused hoping Vera would say something at last. She opened her mouth then closed it again. Then barely a whisper.

"Hello" She said rather curtly. Then she paused for a long while. They all looked at her perplexed. It was oddly rude to say so little. Then she broke the silence with a long ramble

"What I mean to say is… you all seem different. Oh no… I didn't mean it like that, I mean you seem quite strange" Vera stumbled through her words. Her face had turned tomato red at this point. It was oddly rude to say so much.

"I don't mean _strange_ strange, but a pleasant and lovely strange. I mean you are all so beautiful... well all elves are but not like you. You're different, like how emperor and monarch butterflies are so different"

At this point Elladan and Elrohir exchanged smirked glances. Elrond seemed on the verge of smiling, although no physical changes appeared on his solemn face. He knew what she was hinting at.

"We are half-elven" Elrond finally said, cutting into Vera's long-winded speech. She was in the middle of comparing them to a warm autumn day and other elves to a crisp brisk winter morning, much to Tauriel's chagrin.

Vera stopped and looked at them all again, realization touching her eyes.

"I have seen none like you before" Vera finally said in a hushed voice. Vera had crossed the vale before such things had happened. The Eldar did not like Men at first.

"I feel as though I can say the same of you" Elrohir said with an inviting smile.

"Bah, I am just a girl really, a botanist more than anything else" Vera said shrugging.

"Can I have some of your hair" Vera said with enthusiasm. I suppose you should excuse Vera. The giving of one's hair is a most private affair among elves, more private than sleeve pulling and resting one's cheek to another's back. In all fairness, it is a rather private affair among men as well. Vera again, was new to the world. The trading of hair was not uncommon among the Wise.

Elrohir turned red from such a shocking statement. Even a moment of surprise crossed Elrond's face. Tauriel had been foolish enough to take a sip of water at that point only to choke on it.

"Sorry, was that a strange request? It is only because I do not own such a thing" Vera clarified. Although it was not really a clarification to anyone.

"You have some sort of hair collection" Elladan said slowly, his face dubious.

"Sure" Vera said cheerfully. She took her scepter from out of her frock. It had a pocket-like flap on it near the left side of her ribs.

The scepter was set with a lovely white stone. Elves are quite fond of white starlit gems and so they did not immediate notice the hair wrapped around the handle just shy of the setting.

A single strand of red hair was the first.

"From the Master of Nature, Tom Bombadil" Vera explained. Elrond's eyes widened.

Then a silver blond strand, long enough to be wrapped around several times.

"From the Moon light Queen, Enelyë" Vera said quickly, she was already on to the next strand but stopped due to the gasps.

"This hair is from the first awakened elves" Elrond said astonished.

"Yes indeed, though she did not seems keen to give it to me" Vera explained. Elrond hand shaking reached out to brush his fingertips against it. Vera did not mind

A midnight black hair, gleaming like the ink of the sky.

"From the Second Born Sun King, Heleth. I remember it very clearly, t'was the first time I met mortals"  
>Vera said jubilantly.<p>

Then a thick straw colored hair.

"From Leybl, skin changer, turned into all manner of friendly beasts" Vera continued. There were eight more hairs down the line. However, Legolas had returned with a newly revived Gimli

"Lord Elrond, It is good to see you again" Legolas said with a respectful bow.

"Eh Elrond, Long time no see" Gimli said, then a curt bow as an afterthought.

After a moment, Elrohir plucked a singular strand of his long Raven hair and handed it to Vera. She gleefully with an excited yip, wrapped the hair around her scepter.

Legolas exchanged quizzical looks with everyone. Then everyone burst into open laugher, even Elrond managed a light chuckle.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I don't know how long this creative streak is going to last. Knowing myself, probably not for more than week :P. Also I know in the original time line, Elrond leaves with Gandalf and Frodo. But I am taking an artistic liberty!

Chapter 4: Drifting.

Two hobbits walked along the riverbank. They had just come back from a day of fishing and were in good spirits. The sun hung low in the pink and orange sky, the air was cool and refreshing.

The hobbits had traveled with Elrond but did not really enjoy the company of elves. Elves had far too few meals for their taste. The Elves had stopped for the day. Preferring the company of themselves, the two decided to go fishing. I'm sure you to know of these hobbits as many did. They were quite the famous pair, and had more than one song sung about them.

"Reckon we'll be seeing Legolas soon," Pippin said cheerfully, with a large fish slung over his back.

"And Gimli too" Merry said with equal cheer, and an equally large fish dragging on the ground.

"Oh… and then we'll be on our way to see Aragon"

"Aye, and then of course Arwen"

They continued their banter cheerfully, as the Elven camp came back into view. Oh, of course you should know, their dear friends Frodo and Samwise had been too preoccupied to attend the celebration. Frodo had sailed to the undying lands and Samwise was rather busy with fatherhood. You knew that, so don't be angry with me that they are not in this tale.

Vera had been enthusiastically chatting with Elrond about his Half-Elven heritage. Elrond was having a rather difficult time explaining himself. Vera broke off in mid sentence when she saw the two hobbits approaching them.

"Oh, what are they?" Vera exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the pair of them.

Merry and Pippin stopped in their tracks, quite alarmed at the unsolicited pointing. Usually whenever anyone pointed at them, it was because they were in trouble. They fought off the instinct to run. Merry tried to think if he had stolen mushrooms from this particular girl. Pippin though the same, except it was potatoes rather than mushrooms. They in unison shook their heads. They would remember stealing something from such a spectacularly dressed girl.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck at your service" Merry said politely with a bow.

"Peregrin Took, it's my pleasure" Pippin said and mirrored Merry's bow.

"Merry and Pippin" Legolas said with a warm smile. Then in a swift motion, he took a knee and hugged the pair of them.

"You pair are sort of like me, where do you come from," Vera said. Of course, it would have been polite to introduce one 's self. Vera wasn't interested in names or formalities, as you've come to know.

"Sort of like you… what do you mean?" Merry said over Legolas' shoulder.

"Well we're of quite small stature," Vera explained. Vera stood at about five feet exactly. Merry stood at four feet five and half inches. Pippin was four feet five inches, something that Merry constantly reminded him.

"Short! Are you calling me short? Speak for yourself" Pippin said, indignantly. He shrugged out of Legolas' embrace. Merry followed.

"Who do you think you are" Merry said outraged. Vera failed to sense their anger, she didn't think she had said anything insulting to begin with. She responded quite calmly

"I am Vera the Green, of the order Wise," Vera said with a curtsy.

"Wise?" Merry said, his face suddenly blanching. Yelling at powerful wizard wasn't a smart thing to do.

"I haven't seen any such as you, tell me are you some sort of fish loving fairy, or perhaps a leather footed mini man" Vera asked excitedly. Tauriel let a hardy laugh escape at those words

"Neither, we are hobbits, though we are quite fond of fish" Merry explained

"And cheese if you have any, and of course wine to go with it, and mushrooms" Pippin continued.

"Where do you come from?" Vera continued, fascinated.

"The Shire of course!" Merry said at once.

"Where?" Vera said confused. Pippin tossed his fish onto the ground and reached into his pocket. There was a map folded very neatly. Good maps were hard to come by, and Pippin took great care of his. He gingerly unfolded it on a flat rock.

"This is where we are," he pointed at thin line titled "Anduin (The Great River)"

"And this little nook is the Shire" Merry explained shoving his arm underneath Pippins to point at the map. Vera took note of the locations on this map. The parts indicating forests were the most familiar things.

"What's this here" Vera said point to the old forest to the east of the Shire.

"That's just a forest, nothing important really," Pippin said without thinking.

"Have you ever met anyone there, say a rhyming man and his pretty wife" Vera began.

"Oh yes… I had forgotten about that… Tom Bombadil and Goldberry" Merry mused.

"Saved our lives from a Willow, it was about to eat us" Pippin explained

"He's a good friend of mine, perhaps when our journey to Minas Tirith is done, I'll go back with you to visit him," Vera explained

"Tom Bombadil? You know him?" Merry asked.

"Oh well, yes…. But the good friend I was referring to was Sir Willow" Vera laughed. Merry and Pippin exchanged dubious looks

"Say, can I have some of your hair?" Vera continued. Merry looked uncertain for a moment before he relinquished a strand of his golden blond hair. He thought it best not to insult a wizard.

Vera took the strand and wrapped it around her scepter.

"Two in one day, what luck" She said enthusiastically.

Nine boats glided down the river. They seemed to be gliding so effortlessly that not a ripple of water followed their tread. There was starlight above, it felt as though the boats floated upon an inky sky. Vera sat in a slightly finer boat with Legolas, Elrond, and his two sons. Elrond thought it best to seat Vera in the front among honor. He too believed it unwise to insult a wizard.

"So he said he would throw you in the dungeon for a hundred years? What did you do next?" Elladan asked, quite enthralled at the tale. Legolas was also quite keen on the story, he had been away when this happened. He wondered what the girl had done to put his father in such a mood.

"I did this" Vera said. She held up her scepter and a brilliant and lovely white light pulsed from her wand.

"No wonder _Adar_ was so furious with you" Legolas laughed

"It was the trees that helped me escape in the end! I rode the King's buck all the way to Dale" Vera continued

"How did you manage to survive there, Dale is no place for a girl" Elrond asked, his face solemn yet his eyes seemed amused. Of course Vera was a powerful Istar. But it was easily forgotten by many. Vera seemed to be a carefree young girl just as many mistook Gandalf as a befuddled old man.

"I peddled flowers, and songs… Singing is the greatest power that the Children of Nature have" Vera explained.

"Singing?" Elrohir said dubiously. Vera's eyes shined with delight

_Come now firefly into the night_

_Compare thine beauty in fair moonlight_

_The stars blanch among such divinity_

_Elvish eyes can't resist such affinity_

As though by magic, fireflies filled the air forsaking the cover of the shrubs that grew by the banks. The elves rarely witnessed such a display of light. Starlight they knew, and sunlight they liked but firefly light was foreign and rare. They were enchanted by it. Thousands of fireflies hovered over the water, glowing lazily. Their lovely warm yellow-green light filled the air.

"Truly the greatest power I have ever witnessed" Elladan whispered.

Now I should warn you, the story is not all butterflies and unicorns. Vera had sent a pulse of light into the air and someone quite sinister had seen it among the reeds.

This sinister someone, thought it was his imagination until the fireflies lit the water exposing the boats.

"Elves" he said in his tragically stereotypical raspy villainous voice.

The voice belonged to a rather gruff looking Goblin. He had been camping out with a ragtag remnant of Goblin resistance. They were becoming fewer and fewer in number. Mostly because they were rather a dull lot without a leader

Vera was mid song when the first arrow sung through the air. It landed pathetically in the water. Goblins were not very good shots after all. A moment of silence.

"We're under attack" Gimli said. He got up with such ferocity that his boat almost tipped over.

"Goblins" Legolas said scanning the bank with his elf eyes. Vera turned white with fear at the word

"I am not the child I was went I first met them. I don't need to be afraid anymore" Vera thought. Yet she could not assuage her terror. Her reason did not overcome sheer panic.

A stroke of luck for the Goblin archer, his arrow soared through the air directly at Vera. She saw it coming, since it was a rather high unskilled arc. Fear kept her in place. Elladan pushed her out of the way. The arrow pierced his calf causing him to scream out. The arrow wedged itself in between the bone and flesh. The scream snapped Vera out of her fear.

"Oh no, poor beautiful half-elf" Vera said ferverntly. Vera put her hand on Elladan's face for a moment then she placed her hand on the wound. The arrow in question turned into golden dust instantly. The wound became covered in a lovely white light. It became half mended but still need some tending to.

" Never mind, that's…. the greatest power…" Elladan said now recanting his previous statement.

Vera didn't hear the end of that sentence, instead she turned to the bank. Arrows filled the sky. How were the goblins keeping ahead of them. The boats were drifting at a sprinting speed. Vera listened closely and heard a snarl.

"They are riding on some sort of animal" Vera thought. She shot a fireball from her scepter. It hit a shrub and burst into sparks. For a moment, Vera saw a wolf like creature. The light faded, but the constant string of arrows gave away their relative location. There must have been eighty of them. The Elves were unfortunately outnumbered.

A howl broke into the air.

"Wargs" Legolas said eyeing the area. He did not need the light to see them. He took out his bow and aimed it at the warg.

"No… wait" Vera said feeling odd about slaying the creature. Then after a very brief moment.

_Thy ferocity is tamed_

_They rip away thine silver mane_

_Return once more to ones inheritance wild_

_Once again become the moons child_

Vera sang with such lovely forlorn ethereal notes. The wolves suddenly remembered their forgotten wild ways. They immediately turned on the goblins that kept them captive for so long. The arrows immediately stopped. The sound of struggles and growls filled the air. The boats drifted along in peace. Once enough distance had come between the Elves and the incident, they filled the air with cheers and laughter

"That was incredible little one" Elrond exclaimed turning to Vera. Vera's frightened expression gave him pause. Her wide startled eyes, stared past Elrond into the water.

"What is wrong my child" Elrond asked. It had been the sight of the Goblins that reminded Vera of the horrors she endured long ago. When she was young as the world was young, she had her childlike innocence torn from her.

"Nothing" She said tersely, and then she laid her cheek on the edge of the boat. She looked out sadly across the dark water.

"Where did you learn that healing spell?" Elladan asked hoping to cheer Vera up. Why was she sad in the first place?

She did not respond, she continued to look on the water, her eyes unfocused.

"We'll need to stop somewhere," Legolas said. It sounded muffled in Vera's ears. She was exhausted suddenly and had fallen asleep.

The first light peaked on the horizon. Vera's eyes fluttered open. She realized that had fallen asleep at some point. She found herself in a tent, tucked in warm blankets. They had stopped during the night to tend to the wounded, she knew that much. Vera rose up and walked out of the tent. Legolas, Elrond and his sons were gathered by a fire, eating berries.

"Vera, you're awake, it's good timing, the sun is about to rise" Legolas said gently. Vera had slept rather unsoundly, crying once in a while out in her sleep. No one was going to bring that up though.

"You seemed quite sad after that Goblin incident," Elladan said quietly. The first light began to illuminate his features. His calf was bound in some clean white cloth. Elrond was a master healer. He marveled the wound. It looked like a deep cut rather than a place where an arrow pierced. The other soldiers fared a bit worse since they were not healed on the spot.

Vera rubbed her eyes instead of answering. Finally, when Elladan thought she was not going to speak, she answered.

"Yes… it was the goblins. They reminded me of something…" Vera said simply. They kept their eyes on her hoping for the rest of the story. Vera fumbled with the frills on her frock.

"Well…. When I was young and defenseless, my singing had yet become quite as potent. I was captured by a band of Goblins" Vera began. Then she stopped unsure of what to say next. She started to say something several times and stopped.

Just for the record, this band of goblins numbered in the thousands. They had stolen Vera's scepter, by sheer number.

"They hurt me" She finally said and looked away into the water.

The elves exchanged glances. Each of them had a loved one suffer a similar fate. They watched as unspoken horrors passed the surface of Vera's emerald eyes.

"How did you escape?" Elrond finally asked hoping to break the uncomfortable silence. Vera suddenly perked up.

"The Ainu Estë took pity on me and rescued me. She restored me. Then she took me across the vale" Vera said happily.

"Across the Vale?" Elrond asked

"I'm afraid I cannot describe it, no words can. The ..err place is… quite… err nice. The Ainur live there, so you can imagine. Or perhaps you can't," Vera said apologetically

"Then how did you return from the ..err…. vale?" Elladan asked. The light now fully illuminated his face. Vera suddenly became frightfully shy again.

"Oh… they sent me back, I forget why…. I mean I'm not always that forgetful… but in this case…" She said flustered

"It's a very long disorienting journey," Vera explained. Vera picked up some of the fish cooking in the fire. It was speared on some twigs, and cooked quite nicely. She took a timid bite.

"So… how do you know the King of Gondor?" Vera asked, changing the subject.

"Our little sister is the Queen" Elladan and Elrohir, said in unison.

"I met Aragon when he was but a simple Ranger in the north. Nevertheless, he told me his lineage that he was the rightful king, after two decades of friendship. He was afraid to take the throne from the Steward of Gondor." Legolas began. Elrohir and Elladan rolled their eyes, which on an elf looks quite hilarious. They had heard this story a hundred times. They suddenly got up with the excuse of tending to the other elves in their party.

They set sail again down the river. Elrond had moved Legolas to the boat in the rear but it did not deter him from telling his tale again. The Elves that kept him company groaned.

Gimli sat upfront with them, he quite enjoyed that.

"You have any dwarf hair on that scepter" Gimli asked cheerfully.

"Sure" Vera said. She pulled out her scepter.

Fifth in line, a course umber hair.

"King of the Mountain, Master of Stone, Durin the first" Vera said casually. Gimil's eyes widened, and his breath became short and ragged

"You mean to say… that is a hair from the first awakened Dwarf" Gimli said or rather choked out.

"Yes I have quite the impressive collection. Tom, elf, man, skin changer, dwarf, Ent, dragon" Vera said in rapid fire

"Dragons have hair?" Gimli exclaimed.

"Well, that one was an eyelash" Vera admitted

"Hey, Ents don't have hair, aren't they mostly tree" Gimli protested.

Vera's finger backtracked to a long Green hair.

"It was definitely a hair, growing right out of a mossy side in its back. It was right in the bark" Vera defended

"Giant, Werewolf, Wild talking horse, Istar, Ainu, Half-Elf, and finally Hobbit"

"You mean to say that you have hair of an Ainu" Elrond said in disbelief looking a bit further down. The Ainur, if you don't know, are the forging spirits of creation. Each possessed a powerful magic, rooted in the very foundations of the world.

Vera's finger shot down one rung to the Ainu hair. It was a glimmering gossamer strand of pale yellow. It seemed to glow with strange power.

"This is her hair, the one who saved me and trained me" Vera defended again. They all looked very closely at the hair. Then they looked at each other, it seemed to be more and more authentic as the moments passed. Vera cautiously tucked her scepter back into her frock concealing the hair in question.

"Why do you collect hair?" Gimli asked still eyeing the spot where the scepter was concealed. She sighed and pulled out the scepter again. It seemed to be necessary in the explanation. The gossamer hair came into view again, stealing their gazes instantly.

"My scepter takes in the essence of a creatures making. The _heir_ of a creature is its most distilled form. Each one I collect increases my power as long as the make is different" Vera explained

"Is not every creature of a different making" Elrond asked stunned that she was so open about such a thing

"No, it does not discern such a thing, an elf is an elf whether he is one day old or one thousand" Vera explained then she picked a single loose strand of hair from Elrond's sleeve. She twisted around her scepter but it burned away.

"See, it does not take more than one" Vera said solemnly.

"How did you come by such knowledge?" Elrond asked curiously. Vera suddenly looked confused. For the acquisition of this knowledge was far back in her memory. The canvas was all but bare, when time had not yet moved. It was so far back, to the barren void before the Song had begun.

"I am not sure, I only remember adding Tom's hair first and then mine followed by Goldberry's but they had both burned off. Then I knew for sure this way was the case" Vera said vaguely. What had been in the beginning, it was so hazy now. It was like a dream long forgotten, covered in foggy shadows. Perhaps that was all there was in the beginning.

"And the collecting of this gives you power?" Gimli pressed snapping Vera out of her retrospection.

"Why would you need more power?" Elrond asked looking even more pensive then usual.

"To protect myself of course" Vera said as if it was obvious.

"Power can easily destroy as well as create" Elrond warned.

Vera angrily tucked her scepter back in its place. She glared into Elrond's eyes.

"Do not lecture me, _I was_ when the world was young, I know of Power, both its glory and ruin. You would do well to…." Vera said heatedly but suddenly her head dropped and she nodded off to sleep. Her powerful presence faded away, and she looked again like a small child

"I squeezed a bit of sleeping apple juice on her food. She seemed quite tired, I thought she could use the rest" Elrond admitted. Tauriel had given him some. She had plenty more for herself for its original intended purpose.

"We need only revive her with the river's water, but let her rest" Elrond said soothingly to a concerned Gimli. Gimli being one of the victim of sleeping apples, was rather anxious.

"She will be quite cross when she awakens" Gimli warned Elrond

"Indeed" Elrond agreed

Had Elrond known what was to follow, he would not have put the girl to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Dream

"This is a dream" Vera thought.

All was blank. Then there was a note. The first note. The first note of the first song.

"A song, what's that?" Vera wondered. But she was alone with no one to answer, or so she thought. She did not know she was actually made second.

Then there was skip, a white skip of color across a blank canvas. Then a little house nested in the corner.

"Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!" Said Tom Bombadil-lo

"Who are you?"

"I am you"

"Then who am I?"

"You are the one that must go. I am the one that must stay"

One must go and one must stay. But what does that mean anyway?

Then a flowing endless sweeping blue. A riptide of water. Then a speckled spatter of emerald green. A field of grass.

The two of them sat in the grass. The field was endless, spanning all directions as far as the eye could see. The blue sky spanned across decorated with wispy clouds. A tiny yellow dot grew and grew like a balloon filling up with air. It was the sun

Then a current of water cut the field in half. A river the color of dark lapis

"How shall we decide, who is to stay?" Vera asked, just then a voice from the river sang out.

That was the end of the first verse of the first song.

Then the second verse began

"There my pretty lady is, River-woman's daughter," Tom laughed. Out of the river a lovely lady arose. Goldberry of course, beautiful beyond measure.

A long time the three spent together. Always it was day, for the Canvas had yet to be turned over.

"A blade of grass, and shrub and a tree. I have all the seeds I need" Vera said scattering as she went.

"Here, the first tree, the Willow" She gave them the gift.

_Master of wood, water and hill-lo_

_Spring from the ground, lovely young Willow_

_The Song has been sung_

_The great course of creation begun._

_Meet your Master, the first Tom Bombadil-lo_

That was the first limerick. I bet you didn't know that!

Burst forth from the flat green plain the hills and shrubbery, and tall thin saplings.

Of course the beginning was cheerful and beautiful. Then the sun sank low in the sky, and the first day was over, and so the page turned. Vera waved good-bye to her two friends.

"But what about my scepter?" Vera thought. There was something about that she had forgotten.

Oh yes, a walking stick. It began that way. A walking stick for a wanderer. As if by magic it appear in her hand. Of course it was magic!

"This is surely a dream. I was on my way to a birthday party. I'm sure of it" Vera remembered.

What are you talking about? What is a birthday? Oh a year, every year you say…. But what is a year? Comprised of days… but that's just silly talk, there has only been one Day. Stop being so strange, go… on your way!

Vera skipped merrily across the hills. A rock what's this? An another ? They line the bank of this first river.

"Who's this? A doe, oh no don't eat from there. That sapling has barely begun to grow" Vera said to the doe. It stopped and begun to eat the clover patch beneath instead.

"Stop! Wait, this is a dream, this has already happened once long ago" Vera of the present protested.

A dream? What is a dream? When you sleep you say…. When do you sleep? At night…. Oh right… what a wonderful idea! You are so bright!

This night you speak of, has stars of course. A big round moon tides the water by force?

Then the elves, one to six. A kingdom in the meadow they began to fix. Awoken to the light of stars, gazed wondrously around. A lovely dark sky did quite astound.

"What are you doing?" Vera asked.

"We are building a home." They answered

"A meadow, that's nice but a forest is better by twice" Vera said cheerfully.

"You're right, how boring a meadow so flat. I wonder why we didn't think of that" The Elves cheered.

"Behold the a tree, The Second, a Birch. A place for all the birds to rest, to perch" Vera rhymed. Oh I hope you're following. Everything in the beginning was a song that rhymed. Yes rhymed with perfect time.

What are you talking about, I have no Idea who Dr. Seuss is!

A bird how lovely, dressed in feathers. Then two chirp happily, flying together.

"A hair, quite fair, could you please share?" Vera asked the Elf-Maiden

"A hair, of course I shall give without remorse" The Maiden replied.

Vera tied the hair under the first. But for power she began to thirst.

"I need it for my protection" Vera explained

"From what?" The Elves asked.

"That I will never be hurt" Vera tried again to explain. They looked at each other. They did not understand hurt.

"Hurt what's that? We don't understand what you mean" The Elves replied

"It is when you are not well, or sad, or lonely" Vera explained. Still they did not understand.

Wait… oh no… that didn't rhyme at all. What's this? The verse of discord has been sung. How terrible that I can't reverse it.

Vera awoke with a start, she was floating in the water. Remnants of the boats were floating around her. Vera grabbed onto the driftwood. She looked around. There was no one, she was all alone. It was dark, and eerie. Not a cricket or a star to light the sky.

"What's happened" Vera said. Oh no…

"My scepter is gone" Vera realized.

I suppose I should tell you what happened. Unfortunately Vera does not have the same luxury. Now this is the proper definition of dramatic irony. Why did I stop to tell you this? Well I just thought the world would be better off if everyone knew how to use the word properly.

As Vera nodded off to sleep. The Elven company was attacked by Orcs and a siege beast. The remaining goblins that survived the previous incident, had signaled them. _Elves on the way. Watch out for the nasty singing Halfling_. So the Orcs waited by the river for a chance to strike. They figured, two attacks so close together, the Elves wouldn't know what hit them.

Oh right I forgot to tell you what a siege beast is. A siege beast is rather nasty brute. Big, tall and able to take down small buildings. The Elves quickly retreated into the trees abandoning the boats upon seeing it. Elrond lost track of Vera, in his defense he had been avoiding the flailing limbs of said beast.

Unfortunately, the Elves had been planning to take the boats from the water because they were quickly approaching a stretch of rapids followed by a water fall. They usually would walk the boats down a path. That is when the Orcs decided was the perfect moment to attack

Orcs are a bit brighter than goblins but with poorer eyesight. Their solution, was to set everything a flame. The Orcs could see everything by the flame. Elrond paid little attention to them, except to slay any that got to close. He was more preoccupied with the beast. Elrond distracted the beast with the glint of his sword. His sons flanked the beast on both sides aiming arrows into its flesh. It roared with great pain and swung its limb knocking the wind right out of Gimli who happened to be preoccupied with an Orc. He wasn't paying attention unfortunately

No matter, moments before the strike, Gimli had managed to smash in an Orcs face with his large steal axe. It was a victory for him even though he was knocked out cold for the rest of the fight. The Orcs that passed his body, thought he was a corpse.

I could say that the Elves rally a victory, and won the battle. But the real defeat came from the fire. The Orcs realized that burning the trees would harm them as well. Especially as burning branches came crashing down on their ugly faces.

"Retreat" ordered the leader. You could tell because he smelled the worst. Also he was the ugliest but unfortunately that, you couldn't tell. The Orcs ran for the hills, quite literally. The siege beast unfortunately couldn't run away, he had been slain. Elrond with a quick swing enforced with elven strength, slit open his gut.

The Elves did not cheer their second victory because the girl had been lost. The company managed to recover her hat, cloak, and scepter but unable to find her, they feared for the worst. No, not dead but captured by the Orcs. None suspected she had floated unnoticed down the rapids and in fact down the falls of rauros.

"Oh isn't it ironic, she was asleep just when she need most to be awake" Gimli cried.

"No it isn't ironic, that's now how you use the word ironic" Legolas corrected.

What do you mean, you don't believe me…. Of course that's what they said. Nevertheless, everyone was very sad that they couldn't find the girl.

Vera felt her breath quicken as she swam to shore. How long had she been drifting? Where was everyone else? She didn't know that she had been asleep for a mere sixteen minutes, that the river water revived her. The reason she couldn't find anyone is because they had decided to trail the Orcs in search for her, thinking that she was tied up somewhere. She had survived falling down a waterfall. She didn't have a scratch on her, how was she to know. When she awoke, the river had calmed down giving no indication of what had happened to her.

Now you know, but she doesn't. That's irony

Vera followed the river. She knew that it would eventually lead to Minas Tirith. Every sound of the forest frightened her. She was powerless.

"Without my scepter, I am nothing" Vera thought. She was afraid. To die? No not at all or at least I think not. She feared to be captured by the Orcs. Vera did not fear death, for it would simply send her across the vale. The Orcs she did, for they could send her to hell.

Every scuttle set shivers down her spine. When she heard anything at all she would remain still and press herself against the trees or hide in the bushes. The trees, without her scepter she could not converse with them. She was mortal, powerless, defenseless, alone and not to mention cold.

Oh you might have thought the trees could tell her friends where she was? Sorry no, but good try, trees are very stoic and they love regulation and formalities. They would not speak to the Elven company without being asked. I think I mentioned the stodgy fuddy-duddy nature of trees before. Now you see why being too formal can sometime be really callous and foolish.

But don't feel bad for Vera because behold, a stroke of luck. She saw some royal blue aster growing in a large patch. She still knew how to make clothing out of flowers. She quickly, for she feared to stay in one place for too long, fashioned herself a heavy blue hooded cloak. It looked nothing out of the ordinary except the embroidered flowers seem to move whimsically when one blinked.

So now she was mortal, powerless, defenseless and alone, but at least she wasn't cold.

She heard a scuttle behind her. Quickly she hid in a shrub. Only this time the danger didn't pass like before, it came nearer and nearer. She decided to try to run for it. It chased her, heavy breathing and a glimmer of sharp teeth followed in her peripheral vision.

"Please, no I want to live" Vera thought, so she was afraid of death after all. Well most are quite fickle on the subject.

Finally when she could run no more, they surrounded her.

Three wargs, fangs bared. Vera screamed and covered her face. She prepared herself for death. But it did not come. She peaked at them through her fingers. She realized their fangs weren't bared, they were trying to speak. She listened hard, but without her scepter, she could hear nothing. No, she had to try harder. She took a deep breath and listened past the rapid beating of her heart. Animals usually spoke clearer than trees.

"You free us. We protect you" The wargs said. Success, she understood. They were the wargs she set on the goblins. They found her by chance and decided to help her. She tried to listen to the trees again. Silence.

"I need my scepter, without it I have no power" Vera told the wargs.

"A stick? For throwing and fetching?" The wargs asked. They did not understand what she meant.

"I need it, without it I will die. I am defenseless… I am nothing" Vera pressed.

"A fetching stick for power? But that is not your power, your power is the song, the song that frees us" The wargs argued. Vera realized despite their simple canine minds, they were right. The song was her power. The song that begun creation, imbued her with her true power.

"I need help," She sang in a toneless horrible voice hoping it would summon a horse or a unicorn, heck even a donkey would do. The wargs howled and yelped as if in terrible pain.

"No, that's bad. Sing like before" The wargs barked out scratching at their ears.

"I can't, I'm too afraid. Maybe you can help me get to my friends" Vera pleaded.

"Your pack, no we can't hear them, they not howl" The wargs whimpered

"Minas Tirith … can you help me get there" Vera wondered against hope.

"Mountain house, we know, follow water" The wargs huffed with their ears finally perking up. They started walking along the bank

"Come, we take you" The wargs beckoned the green girl.

If Vera had decided to rest the night, The Elven Company would have caught up with her. They would have returned from their Orc stake out by then. That is never the way things happen. Vera followed the Wargs.

"It is day time, we sleep now" The wargs said. Wargs were nocturnal creatures that slept in the trees during the day. They hid in the trees to catch a good days rest.

"Radagast will be heartbroken. I don't want to be the one to tell him" Merry said sadly.

"I'm heartbroken" Pippen explained and then burst into sobs.

When the Elven company finally made it to Minas Tirith, they're spirits were very low indeed.

"Finally, I can see it" Pippen huffed.

They arrived at the fortress midday. The king was preoccupied and so the troupe was greeting by servants.

"Lord Elrond….and friends" A hefty elderly woman said smiling. "Follow me". This elderly lady had quite the crush on Lord Elrond.

The first room had a single grand desk and no bed. Remember that elves don't sleep.

"This one is yours" The grandma said indicating with her hands.

She then walked to the room adjacent to it.

This one had two small beds fit for small children. One was on top of the other. There was also a table with a bottle of wine and two pipes.

"Er… the Halflings I think" The lady said, her cheer diminished now that Elrond was safely away in his room.

"Drat, I should have showed him is room last." She thought.

Merry and Pippen unpacked all their belongings. Among them were their best clothes, for the birthday party of course.

"Fancy a smoke?" Pippen asked

"No thanks, I'm so sad, I don't even feel like having dinner" Merry said.

"But then you won't see Aragorn till tomorrow. Or maybe he'll be too busy with the party, it's only two days away" Pippen reasoned. You know, hobbits are quite fond of birthdays and birthday parties. Planning them always took to the last minute.

"Oh no Pip, Of course I'll have supper with Aragorn but dinner I think I'll pass" Merry explained. Unlike men, hobbits had more meal times than three. In fact, they had more meals then most anyone. That is why hobbits tended to be on the fat side. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and super. On Sundays, they had brunch and sometimes a late night snack. A hobbit who gave up a meal would have to be in a very somber mood indeed.

Elrond felt quite somber himself. He felt it was his fault that Vera had died. If he had not given her that sleeping apple, she would have lived. They were all seated at the dinner table. A proper feast laid out before then. Everyone was very quiet. The king queen and prince had not yet arrived. Then finally the sound of footsteps.

"Aragorn" Legolas exclaimed happily. Aragorn and Arwen both appeared holding hands.

"Where is the boy?" Elrond asked stretching his neck to see if he was around the corner.

"He has a bit of a fever so I put him to bed early _Adar_" Arwen answered.

"I heard you had trouble getting here and that you lost someone" Aragorn addressed in a straightforward manner.

"Yes, a girl… she was a wizard like Gandalf" Pippen explained.

"Yes I knew of her, my people in Dale sent me word when she traded flowers and such" Aragorn said somberly.

"Eat, and rest my friends. I hope your stay here will restore your spirits. As for the resistance, I will double my patrol. I am so sorry about this" Aragorn continued.

After a few drinks the mood had turned for the worst. Legolas had become very silent, he tried very hard to listen to the conversation but found his mind drifting into a blank abyss. Merry ate very little, his tiny hand tearing a slice of bread into crumbs.

"Oh If only I had watched her more closely" Gimli bawled into a cup of wine.

"It was my fault! I was the one who slipped her that dreadful sleeping concoction" Elrond said sadly his head in hand.

Then a solider burst into the room! He was momentarily made mute by the incredible amount of crying going on.

"Wargs my lord" He said heatedly after a moment.

"What?"

"We saw three of them, and we thought she was a goblin" He began to explain.

"Who?" Aragorn asked suddenly fearing the worst

"The green girl, we saw them approaching the castle" He said trying to catch his breath.

"So she's alive after all" Gimli said, his mood turning on a dime. The solider did not reply

"Tell me what happened Madoc" Aragorn commanded sternly.

"We thought she was a goblin, so I shot her with my bow" Madoc said turning pale.

"Take us to her… NOW" Aragorn yelled. He quickly led the way to the grounds outside. As they got close, they could hear feral growls

"Please let me though, I need to dress the wounds. She needs to go to the healing ward, immediately" He heard the healer say.

The three wargs stood by her side guarding her as she lay unconscious. Six soldiers surrounded the area but feared getting to close.

"Please let her through, she is trying to help" Aragorn reasoned. The wargs did not do as he asked, they only became more feral.

Vera laid there pale and bleeding profusely.

"You not friends, you shoot her" One of the wargs accused.

"He… he is the one that shoot her" The warg said his snout pointing at Madoc.

"It was an accident, it was a mistake" Madoc said hopelessly as he sank to his knees. He had shot a little girl to death.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 : Compromise

"The archers above have a clear view, my king, I can signal them" Madoc suggested. Aragorn understood what he meant. He meant the he would signal the archers to shoot the wargs dead where they stood. Aragorn thought better of it. The wargs were surprisingly acting only out of kindness and loyalty. They did not deserve to be slain for their efforts.

"No, we will not be repeating your mistakes tonight" Aragorn reprimanded.

Elrond ignored their conversation and fumbled around for something.

"At least let us return the girl this" Elrond said taking Vera's scepter out of his tunic.

"The fetching stick" The warg said suddenly more indecisive. Vera had talked about it _a lot _during their trip.

"Throw it" The warg beckoned. Elrond lightly tossed the warg the scepter and he caught it in mid air.

He set the scepter upon Vera's opened hand and then he used his muzzle to close her fingers around it. He looked for a moment expectantly, tail wagging hoping that it would somehow revive her. It did not. She was gravely injured.

Then she died….. The end

Okay I'm sorry, I was only jesting. I just wanted to gauge your response. You see, I know you are quite smart. Heroes, while facing terrible monsters and horrible circumstance are never in any real danger. Or at least you as the listener, feel that heroes are bound to survive despite it all. You of course see that there are many more words ahead in this chapter so you have already rationalized it.

Plus it would be a terrible tale.

Where was I? Oh yes, she was gravely injured.

"Step aside, or else she will die" Gimli said angrily

"You not command us. We are free. We are moon children. Obey no one" The wargs defied. Their anger waxed with bared teeth, hackles raised.

"Let me shoot them down my king" Madoc urged.

"It should be said the same of me. You don't command me" Aragorn said blackly then he sent the soldier away. That's the last we see of him. You see, cowards often have but one or two lines in a tale.

"Surely you must be hungry, we can bring you food and water, and bandages for the girl" Elrond proposed. He was only focused on bartering with them.

"Food" The wargs softened at the mention "Yes, now"

It was Tauriel's quick thinking that had saved the day. Oh yes she had been there standing for quite some time, waiting for her chance to be useful. Tauriel threw them three sleeping apples. That was all she had on her. She was planning on using them to concoct a sleeping gas of some sort. She was a weapons expert and saw the potential.

The wargs sniffed at them greedily, unable to detect anything wrong. After devouring them in a few second, the wargs yawned, whined and fell over.

Tauriel raised a water sack from her side.

"You can have some of this after we get her inside" she told them as their eyes shut

"Poison" They managed to utter.

"The girl, hurry" Elrond commanded. Legolas carefully took Vera into his arms and then ran to the healing ward.

Everyone took a seat out side, except Elrond. He was luckily one of the best healers in all middle earth, he was elected chief surgeon. Tauriel was pacing. Legolas on the other hand was so still, one might have thought him a statue.

Every so often an elf lady would be rushing in the door with hot water, or bandages, or some sort of medicine bottle.

After an hour or so, Elrond emerged with a sweaty brow.

"I have done all I can. If she has the will to live, it will be so" Elrond said sadly.

"Can we see her?" Merry and Pippen asked.

"One at a time you must. The arrow hit the girl very close to the heart, I beg your discretion" Elrond said sternly

"Don't touch anything" He shot a warning as a afterthought to the two hobbits

They each took a turn to see her and then retired for the night being shooed away by the nurse.

It was Eldarion's second birthday. Everything was decorated spectacularly. They were in the court yard. The White Tree of Gondor was strung up with golden lights. But despite the brilliance of this, the celebration lacked mirth. It was not for the lack of fine food or spectacular wine, but simply because of the one so gravely injured.

"Your father has sent word. He will be here tomorrow" Aragorn said to Legolas amidst the celebration. They sat a high table, while others stood around talking. Usually there would be dancing but not tonight.

"I thought I was to take his place in the council meetings" Legolas explain confused "Perhaps he has decided to see Vera…"

Since traveling was such an arduous task, celebrations doubled as times when kingdoms could meet and discuss business. Birthdays were not especially important to call out the far and foreign but it had been two years since the fall of the ring, it was a good time to start widening out trade routes again. Aragorn had plan this event accordingly. Kings and lords, major and minor would be at the meeting tomorrow.

"I do not think he knows either of her supposed death, or her miraculous rediscovery, or her tragic mishap. Or perhaps he does, the way of the Eldar are still beyond me" Aragorn argued

"I am beyond you, husband?" Arwen suddenly appeared in jest. Arwen was of course, as it was well known, no longer counted among the Eldar.

"Queen Arwen" Legolas bowed…. She laughed at the title among friends.

"_Prince _Legolas" She retorted.

"You seem in good spirits, perhaps you know something we don't" Legolas said hopefully.

"It is my son's birthday," Arwen said. She knew they spoke of Vera.

"I do not know anything more. But I have more than you, _hope_ of course. The Valar sent the girl, their purpose could not possibly be to have her slain" Arwen explained.

As they spoke the merriment ceased. The men among them confused, the Eldar among were alarmed. All eyes eventually turned on the White Tree.

"She is here I know it. The Green Queen…. But why does she not sing" It suddenly spoke. Its voice like one waking up after a thousand year nap. The men could not hear it, but Eldar could, and it startled them.

"White Tree of Gondor, I welcome you to the feast" Arwen bowed. The tree seemed rather offended by that

"Tree of Gondor? Do not sully me by calling me after a kingdom of men. And do not be so brazen to address me at all, little babe"

"I am the Queen of Gondor" Arwen explained.

"There have been many Queens of Gondor, and Imaldris and Greenwood. I am among but four, and if you should speak to me, call me Sir Sycamore" The sycamore.

"Sir Sycamore, why have you awakened now?" Arwen pressed. She knew that trees didn't particularly like much except Ents.

"Hard of hearing. You are one of many, I am one of four, the Green Queen one of two. She is here, send for her, now" The Sycamore said in an ancient voice, urgent and grumpy.

"She is hurt very badly. She is asleep and won't be moving for many days" Arwen said at last. She feared the tree would burst into violent curses. But he did not.

"Nay, I feel she is awake, tell her that I am asking for her. In fact she is not injured at all," The Sycamore simply replied.

Arwen turned around, feeling unsure. Legolas nearest to the doors, ran straight the healing ward.

He turned the corner. The girl came into sight. She was sitting upright in bed

"Hello" Vera simply said. Her wound was gone, her scepter glowing in her hands. She had power to heal herself on the spot, she awakened from an all knowing dream.

"Vera, you are awake" Legolas said smiling.

"I am… I feel like I might be dreaming, I am not sure" Vera said uncertainly.

"Do you know who I am" Legolas asked, looking at her confused expression. She studied his face in the candlelight.

"No, or maybe yes… or not yet" She finally said. Legolas felt his heart drop

"Do you know who you are?" He asked.

"I am Vera the Green of the Order wise. I was sent here to wait for someone though unfortunately not you" She said unsurely.

"For Radagast, remember" Legolas felt as if he were walking on glass. Her expression cleared.

"Oh yes, my cousin, I was to seeking him out. I remember" She exclaimed.

"Why, what else do you remember?" Legolas pressed

"Something… something… yes…about Blue Jays? No… that doesn't seem right" She said flustered.

Suddenly Merry and Pippen burst into the room.

"Oy, she's awake, that's a mighty relieve" Pippen said. Legolas held out his arm baring the way.

"Please wait outside, I think she's feeling a bit overwhelmed" Legolas demanded. The two hobbits lingered for a moment shooting Vera confused gazes which she mirrored. They begrudgingly left.

Legolas excused himself leaving the Girl alone. "Stay here please" He said urgently

Arwen and Aragorn had quickly joined the waiting area having received no word.

"She's awake, but she's seemed to forgotten everything" Legolas explained.

"How severe is it" Arwen gauged.

"She remembers nothing, like when she first arrived, if Tauriel's account is accurate" Legolas said in a panic.

Finally Tauriel arrived to scene.

"Everyone is very worried downstairs, what's going on" She asked

"Vera is awake but she's…" Legolas exclaimed. At that Tauriel pushed passed Legolas not caring for the end of his sentence.

Vera looked up at Tauriel. Vera looked befuddled.

"Is this a dream?" Vera asked her.

"No girl, It's me" Tauriel said.

"I am sure this is a dream, this has happened once before" Vera suddenly remembered.

"But this is all wrong, It wasn't here that this happened" Vera continued.

Tauriel realized that she was talking about their first meeting. Legolas walked back into the room

"What is wrong with her" Tauriel asked, frightened of the strange creature before them.

"She's …. Probably just tired" Legolas said "Maybe we should let her rest"

"You're lying, you think I've forgotten everything but in fact I've remembered it" Vera protested. It was true, but remembering everything at once seems just the same as forgetting everything.

"Please get some rest Vera, we can talk in the morning" Legolas pleaded. Vera looked defiant for a moment before she reluctantly turned over.

"Two guards at her door" Aragorn commanded suspiciously.

Vera pretended to be asleep until two past midnight. Then she heard the guards outside her door fall asleep. Men snore quite loud. As quiet as a hobbit she escaped the room. Her convoluted memories failed her. She was back to her old escapist (right out king's hands) ways again. She quietly walked to the court yard. Finally something familiar.

"Sir Sycamore" She whispered, very quietly.

"Stay where you are, out of sight" It whispered back. There were guard stationed on the walkways and some near the tree.

Fortunately they couldn't hear the tree speak, being men and all.

"Don't speak, or they will catch you, Green One. I wish it were not so, for how I have longed to hear you sing once more. You must get away from here, from these juveniles. They have already found out of your escape. I know a path hidden in the mountain, since my roots run deep. Take the stairs to your left, and go all the way down. You will meet my roots there" The Sycamore said.

Vera was panting, they had already found out of her escape? The alarmed suddenly sounded. It was followed by running and huffing.

She quickly took the stairs to her left and ran as fast as she could. Twice she hid from guards on her way down in the shadows. Again big folk were not so good on spotting her if she didn't want them to. Of course little folk were much more keen, Merry and Pippen would have been the best searchers except they were going up instead of down.

She arrived unseen to the cellar, and there was a root just a sliver on the floor.

"The stone, here press on it" The Sycamore said.

The cellar was made of brick, and one of them was loose on the floor. Vera pressed very hard on it and it fell through. The others followed until there was a small hole. She saw that there was tunnel.

"How come one stepping here did not fall through before this" She wondered

"I kept my root there, but have withdrawn it for you. Go no Hurry. I will close the floor up when you are gone" Sycamore urgently requested.

Vera climbed though the hole.

"Wait, just one verse of a song. I fear I will not hear it again for a long time" The Sycamore said full of ancient grief

_Men sing of merry days and fortresses and caves_

_A third tree, the Sycamore, for men is what he saves_

_Grow strong my little friend, for you must alone defend_

_Your place forever holds with the strength that you lend_

That was four verses, a generous gift indeed. The tree wept as trees do, their branches seeming to downcast. Vera was gone.

It was nearly morning when she surfaced. There was a big bolder which she pushed out of the way. She had gone back up the river. The tunnel led the east side of the river, it was still in site.

"That was a spectacular tunnel" Vera exclaimed. The trees agreed. After the initial hole it spanned out quite wide, but it looked rounded and gouged out, almost as if it was dug out by the roots of trees.. She rolled the bolder back into place.

She walked up the path until she came to a patch of blue flowers. That seems very familiar. She fashioned herself a cloak to wear over her hospital robes. It was déjà vu for her at least. She walked up further hoping to find something to eat.

Then she heard singing. She quickly retreated to the trees. As singular boat passed with a single traveler. He sang with such a deep commanding voice. He wore a dark green hood that covered his face. Vera mistook him for a child of nature, Tom himself perhaps.

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream…. I'm only kidding.

_Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together?_

_The wind__s in the free-top, the winds in the heather;_

_The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower,_

_And bright are the windows of Night in her tower._

She quickly came out of hiding coaxed by the song.

"Hello" She waved after him with a smile.

The man, at the sight of her, quickly docked the boat. He stood up and Vera realized he was quite a bit too tall to be a child of nature.

"Vera?" The man asked. He lowered his hood.

"I know you…. I think" Vera said looking intensity at his face.

"I should think so, you spent a night in my dungeons" He replied. He looked a bit angry but it waned when the perplexity did not leave her face.

"Are you hurt? Where are the others? You should have made it to Minas Tirith by now. I left but a day after you" He said in rapid succession. He looked for a brief moment, worried

"Thranduil?" She said, some of the confusion leaving her eyes. But in a moment her eyes clouded over once more.

"I am sure, this is a dream, this has already happened" Vera said blackly before running for the marshes. It told you remembering everything could be quite like forgetting everything, especially when remembering things yet to pass.

The Woodland king chased after her but quickly lost track of her. His books sank in the mud, while hers did not.

He cursed himself. He had no idea what was going on. He had been on his way to the council meeting fearing that his son would not be clearheaded on the matters of the newly arrived Istar. But from the panic he suddenly felt, he doubted that he was clearheaded either.

Vera was not well, hurt, possible with a concussion. He had to think clearly. He took a breath. What had drawn her out in the first place. What had he been doing. Oh right, he had been singing. It was something he rarely did in public anymore.

_Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together!_

_Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!_

_The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting;_

_Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting._

He stood still for a moment. He thought himself a fool, it didn't work. But then after a few moment he saw a blue hood peaking at him from a tree, fifty paces away. She slowly walked closer until she was about ten paces away. She remained behind a tree, shyly.

"I quite like that song" She finally said, very quietly.

"Do you know any songs" He said coaxingly. She thought for a moment, and again the confusion seemed to lift.

She sang in Eldarin, but it wasn't really that either. The Marsh around them previously gray and brown turned slowly green and lively from it. Thranduil felt that this was a song too beautiful for ears. He looked around at what was happening. The marsh ground began to solidify into forest. Butterflies and birds appeared by magic. The gray colorless day became a myriad like the infractions of a diamond. He could only understand a few words, but it was tune that ensnared him.

_*(&^*(%%^^*&^%*& skip (*)&()*& house_

_$%^&)*)(* who are you #$%^&#$%^&_

_One must go and one must stay &*()_

_#$%^&#$%^&* river $%^&*#$%^&_

_%^&*(%^&*( decide ^&*()#$%^&*_

_%^&*() canvas %^&*() page ^&* night_

Vera sang with beauty unknown, and Thranduil at last understood. The tune was incredible because...

"This is the song of creation" He realized.

"Stop" He finally said, fearing the power it invoked. Vera stopped, and when she did Thranduil immediate forgot the tune, and was desperately sad because of it. He longed to hear her sing the next verse but fought the impulse.

Vera looked around her, and everywhere was loveliness. The marsh had become a paradise. Trees glistened with dew, flowers of every color decorated the ground.

"I remember this… in the beginning" Vera said looking around. She had tears in her eyes and the confusion set back in.

"We are not in the beginning anymore" Thranduil finally said.

Vera thought for a long minute

"I think you are right, then is this the end" Vera said sadly.

"What is to happen at the end?" Thranduil asked curiously.

"Why do you think I would ask? The end looks the same as the beginning" Vera laughed. Then she eyed the King turning her head to the side.

With her hand she reached up and covered the left side of her face. When they had first met, he was still scared by fire. Realization downed on her face. She remembered where in the story she was. Suddenly the future was lost to her, and also the deep past.

"Thranduil" She said again and hopped back. This time she said his name with certainty

"What am I doing here?" She looked out at the stretch of Paradise.

"I should be asking you that?" Thranduil chuckled. Which for him was quite a feat, laughing I mean.

"Where are we?" Vera asked

"How should I know, you sang, and this place burst forth" Thranduil said flinging his arm out.

"I was…confused and ran away" She finally remembered.

"Yes I could see that, but you seem better now" Thranduil commented

"We'll it was not long ago I helped you get rid your body of the fire" Vera explained

"Then I realized when I was" It was a poor explanation.

"You helped me? I think I would give the credit to it's _saliva_ not you" He explained.

I think I'll spare the king of explaining that to you.

Vera laughed.

"Come now, there is enough room on the boat for the both of us" Thranduil beckoned.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 : Solemn Vows

Vera laughed and the sound echoed through the air. She sighed and looked into the distance. Suddenly her eyes became wistful.

"I wish it was always like this" Vera said suddenly. Thranduil found himself agreeing with the sentiment.

Minas Tirith came back into view, it was mid morning by now. The closer they came, the more reticent he became. The joy in his eyes slowly disappeared to be replaced by an ancient regal mask .

"King Thranduil" Aragorn addressed him as he appeared through the door. Vera appeared behind him, holding his hand, as a child might a parent. Aragorn could not hid his surprise. Various Kings and Lords of the court begin to whisper about the girl. "Arisen from the dead" was the most common sentiment. That is how inaccurate information is usually spread.

"Vera" Elrond exclaimed, and he unceremoniously ran to her from his proper place. Vera dropped Thranduil's hand, and curtsied to Elrond.

"Are you alright?" He said trying to check her wound. She slapped his hand away in surprise.

"I'm sorry that I ran away. I was… confused" She tried to explain.

"It's okay, we should have been better prepared, that wasn't the first time you escaped for somewhere after all" Elrond laughed heartily.

"Call off the search" Aragorn whispered to a guard on his left. He nodded and quickly left.

"Please let me check your wound" Elrond pleaded. Vera felt fine but nodded compliantly. Elrond led her to the healing ward. She climb up to the chair and sat in it comfortably.

He pushed the fabric of her blue robe aside. Just underneath her left collarbone was a large gash. It was not so bad as the arrow wound but it looked like it needed immediate dressing. It spewed forth something foul.

"You walked all this way, like that" Elrond asked.

Vera looked at the gash, surprised that it was there.

"Oh, I guess it must have reopened" She exclaimed. How could she have not realized that? Suddenly a pain ripped through her from her side to her shoulder. She turned pale from the shock and fainted. It would have been comical, like a cartoon character taking a fall only after realizing he had walked off a cliff, had it not been so serious.

"Vera?" Elrond yelled "Help… somebody help.

Elrond demanded a list of medicines and herbs from the nurse that rushed in.

"Hurry" He commanded.

Aragorn, Thranduil, Éomer the King of Rohan, other various kings and lords sat around a large circular table. There was one seat empty, Elrond had not yet arrived.

A servant rushed in and walked right to Aragorn. She whispered something in his ear and quickly left. It was an odd place for a servant girl to be in a king's council.

"Vera has gotten very ill" Aragorn announced. Thranduil tensed.

"Elrond will be joining us shortly" Aragorn finished. As he ended that sentence coincidently Elrond appeared.

"Lord Aragorn" He said with a small bow. He took his seat.

"How is she?" Thranduil spoke out of turn in spite of himself.

"She is sleeping. Her wound had become infected, I cleaned it. She should be fine after a goodnights rest" Elrond gave him the complete debrief.

"Gentleman and Gentle Elves, shall we begin?" Aragorn asked but it sounded like a command.

They spoke of various roads that should be guarded, items up for trade, skilled workers in need in various kingdoms, the status of various wines being brewed, the remnant goblin resistance (things got quite heated there), and finally the most important topic for last. Vera the Green, Vera the Wise, Vera the Botanist, tree talker, prison escapist, wander, traveler, flower peddler. Most importantly she was thought of as, Vera the unknown, Vera the dangerous. News of her had travelled far and wide"

"We have never had such a thing happen. How can we trust her? She might not be of the Wise at all" Bard II, the King of Dale expressed.

"She could be very dangerous, I have heard of her powers, and most dangerous of all, she has yet to tell us her purpose" Éomer exclaimed agreeing with Bard II

The lines of this argument were drawn. The men did not trust her, the elves did and the dwarves did not care.

"I sense in her a great light, the light of the Valar, the light of creation" said Galadriel Lady of Lothlórien.

"She has the power of an Istar, I do not deny it. The trees speak of her with reverence. They call her the Emerald Sower, they think her the seed spreader of creation. The Great Tree of Gondor, thinks her his mother," Lord Celeborn said agreeing with his wife.

"She has great power, but for what I do not know" Aragorn said. The men nodded, the elves did not.

"You call her Wise, but she is not like Gandalf, she does not know how to control her power. Did she not run around muddled with wargs no less?" Éomer said his voice and temperament rising. Shouting and arguing broke out.

"But what of her purpose" asked another. The elves reluctantly conceded to that point. No one seemed to know.

Then a loud commanding voice broke the through the din. Thranduil finally spoke. He had not spoken through the whole meeting, not about the roads, nor about trade, nor about the Goblin resistance. His kingdom did little outside trading, it mattered not. But the girl, the girl mattered.

"I am amongst fools, for her very purpose is before your dull eyes" Thranduil began. All eyes turned to him, all silence given him. He had command of the room. He stood up, and his tall intimidating figure seemed to fill up the chamber.

"Have you ever heard wargs speak common tongue forgoing black speech? These animals are not the dark beasts of the past, they have become loyal and good because of her." He paused for a moment to let that sink in

"Half of my body blackened by dragon's fire, only but a sentence she uttered, and removed the four thousand year old curse." An alarming and undeniable piece of evidence.

"The Tree of Gondor, asleep as long as memory has awoken in her presence. Trees, fireflies, flowers, all the things we enjoy in peace, are her essence. She is not Gandalf, you are right about that. Gandalf was our chieftain in war, when we had a great enemy. The enemy is gone, we need not search for that in her. She was sent here as our chieftain in peace. Her purpose is the heal the scars of war. Look at the evidence, deny it and I am right. You all are blind," Thranduil said eloquently. It was the most he had ever said during a council meeting. He sat back down, the youthful glow in his eyes receding. Once again the ancient mask covered him.

Copious blinking and silence. Then finally a sigh.

"I think you are right" Aragorn said finally. The other men looked at each other, but their dubious expression turned into reluctant agreement.

"If she is a healer as you say, where should she go next? Rohan is in great need of healing and protection" Éomer argued. It was quite a rude thing to accuse a girl of wrong doing then in the next moment ask her for help. But fate makes rude fools of as all.

"Nay, she belongs in Dale, to keep the dragons of the north at bay" Bard II argued.

"I agree" Thorin III Stonehelm King under the mountain suddenly spoke up. Dale was a stones throne from Erebor. That would benefit them both. Thorin III Stonehelm shared the name with his grandfather Thorin Oakenshield. Though the first shared none of the latter's honor.

"You accuse her and in the same breath command her assistance. Lothlórien requires her all the more, the spiders and fell beast. She can turn them back into what they were before the evil touched them" Celeborn argued. _She should come with us._

Had Vera been there, she would have been pulled limb from limb.

"She is no ones to command. Do you think being king of Rohan or Lothlórien will persuade her? She is not your subject, she will chose to go as she wishes" Thranduil said simply. The fire flickering in his eyes for a brief moment.

"You only say that because she will chose to go with you" Bard II argued fiercely.

He had seen the pair arrive together, hand in hand. He would not let this Woodland King take his fortune.

"Her power should go to where it is needed to most. We have lost many to the Goblin resistance, while your people benefit from our fallen" Éomer argued. _Limb from Limb._

Aragorn ended the council after ten more minutes. It had began to become a heated argument similar to a bar brawl rather than an King's council. Aragorn ended it, to prevent blows from being thrown.

Thranduil quickly went to the healing ward. Vera was sitting up, looking forlorn. She looked blankly out the window.

"What troubles you, Green one" Thranduil spoke. Vera looked up realizing she was not alone. The sadness did not leave her eyes in spite of him.

"You know before this, I lived across the vale with the Ainur." She began. Thranduil nodded but did not follow. He already knew this.

"When I sang _The Song_, and that forest burst forth. Did that seem like the most lovely piece of paradise your eyes have ever seen?" Vera tried to explain noting his confusion. Thranduil thought about and nodded. It was the most lovely forest he had ever seen, even lovelier than when Mirkwood had been Greenwood.

"That patch of dirt was nothing compared to the forest of the Valar" Vera said wistfully. "I am so tired. I keep getting struck down and injured. It is like an endless struggle, and the shadows are always threatening to consume me"

She began to cry. The wailing of a child, though her sadness was too profound, too painful for that of a child.

"You cannot imagine. Every breath threatens to extinguish itself, every second is eternal suffering…. But I can't give up either. It was all my fault that evil took a foothold in the first place. And the responsibility, the weight on my shoulders is crushing me" Vera cried out. She wept bitterly, face in her hands.

Thranduil felt the sorrow radiating off her. He took a strand of hair and brushed it behind her ear. He said nothing. Vera looked up at him, wide teary green eyes.

"How am I to continue? I look in myself for the strength. I know if I do not fight I will surely die. But even the threat of death is not strong enough anymore. The task is so arduous and my strength is failing," Vera continued looking desperately at him.

"You have saved me. You have wiped away the curse of death from my soul. Do not give in…. fight. There are many more you must save. Draw your strength from the ones that you have rescued. Draw your strength from me. I will help you. I will go with you every step. Where you must go, I will follow." Thranduil said, it was a most solemn vow to her.

"What of your kingdom, your people need you" Vera sighed. It was a beautiful gesture but not one that he could honor.

"My son has long been ready to lead my people. He will take my place and I shall take his" He said quickly. He did not hesitate.

"I cannot ask it of you" Vera said wiping her tears away. The grief concealing itself once more. Though I should say, grief concealed is no less potent.

"You need not to ask it, I am offering. Even if you decline, you cannot stop me from going as I please. I will go where you go" Thranduil said forcefully.

"I too have a son to take my place. I will do the same" Elrond said suddenly appearing at the door. He had heard everything.

Vera looked blank for a long moment but then a small smile appear on her face. She looked thoughtfully at her scepter. Her eyes looked over the various hairs she collected throughout her life time.

"I thought it would be my power that would save me. But in the end, it was kindness given and received, I will never underestimate it again" She finally said.

Pippen fell out of the tiny wardrobe in the corner. He had been taking a nap there. The conversation woke him up. He also heard everything.

"I'm going too. What a queer life I have lived. Two world saving journeys in one life time" Pippen laughed.

"Two world saving journeys with your best friend of course" Merry said suddenly barging in from the door. He had only heard what Pippen said. He didn't need to hear anymore. He was going, plus he was itching for adventure anyway.

The room was getting particularly full now.

Vera's smile grew into a laugh. A new fellowship was forming right before her eyes.

"My heart is glad you are all willing to go on this journey with me" Vera said cheerfully. The vigor that she arrived with returned to her cheeks.

"I will go where ever there is a place that needs healing, but I must go visit an advisor. Tom Bombadil" Vera explained. They all nodded. They would never renounce their pledges.

They began making predations for their journey. Packing ponies, and such.

"I go, I go for the others. I protect you" One of the newly revived wargs announced. Unfortunately his common speech was lacking. What he meant to say what quite a bit more eloquent. _I will take this journey with you. I will redeem all of the wargs for the wrongdoings of the past. The song has not ended for us, we still have time to set things right. I know we have a great deal to answer for. But, I will protect you with my life, my strength, my spirit. Nothing will harm you without going through these teeth!_

Vera smiled and gave the warg a good pat on the head. His tongue hung out, his tail wagged side to side. It was so strange to see the formidable beast in this way. He looked friendly and harmless, such a contrast to wargs of the war.

"Do you have a name?" Vera wondered suddenly. She had never thought about wargs with names before. They never need names before.

"Name me" the warg thought excitedly. What a thing it was to be someone, to have a name.

"Mellon" Vera said cheerfully. The Elves smiled at that. Mellon meant friend in Sindarin.

"Mellon. Hmm Mellon?… YES… good" Mellon barked. The Elves smiled even wider. It was quite hilarious to hear a warg speak in Elvish. Vera gave him another pat on the head, and scratch behind the ear.

Mellon looked to his brothers, the other two wargs.

"Name the others" Mellon told his brothers. Again the meaning was lost to those hearing due to his unskilled speech. _Free the others. No longer will we do the bidding of Goblins and Orcs. We will never do this again. Instead we will have names and be counted among the good and noble._

"Yes, Alpha" The two wargs replied. Mellon was not just their Alpha, as it happened, he was simply the Alpha.

"What of the Dwarves, we will not have our people uncounted in the songs." Thorin III said finally as the troupe prepared to leave. Gimli huffed, he would not go if Legolas was stuck in Mirkwood. It wouldn't be fair.

"I will go in the name of all Durin's Folk" Balin (the second) son of Dwalin said. He was among the people that came for the birthday celebration. He was regarded as a true king by his people above Thorin III. Though he did not share the name with Thorin II Oakenshield, he did more importantly share his honor and worthiness.

Embolden by the Dwarves. The men also decided to send an envoy. Who would they pick, many wanted the honor of the song. They thought the journey less perilous than that of the fellowship. Naturally many more wanted to be selected. Two were selected, one with the desire to prove his namesake, the other a thirst for adventure.

"I will go" Bard II finally said "My my son will take my place on the throne. This is finally the time to prove my kinghood"

"Then I will go as well. If Kinghood is something one must prove" Éomer said.

"Don't be ridiculous my friend, you have no son to take your place as of yet" Bard II said not willing to share his glory.

"My brother Amrothros will take my place. He will be a good ruler in my place" Éomer defended.

Thus a new fellowship was formed. Vera, Thranduil, Elrond, Pippen, Merry, Mellon, Balin, Bard and Éomer had picked up the gauntlet. This was much like the former fellowship of nine. Though there was one difference, instead of would be kings and princes, all of them were true kings. And so was their name, I suppose a bit as an attempt as humor. _Fellowship of the Kings._

Of course you might disagree on Pippen and Merry on being kings. But if you were to ask farmers in the shire they would say this. _Kings? Ha, of course, they're the Kings of mischief._

Vera sat by Sir Sycamore, it was the now the night before their departure. She whispered sweet nothings to the tree, and lulled it with songs of faraway places. Sir Sycamore felt his old grumpy exterior shed away, he felt young again.

"I have miss you for a thousand eons, Emerald One" Sir Sycamore sighed "Must you go on this journey, I will miss you desperately"

"Your brother in the west misses me as well," Vera laughed "You need not worry, I will be here again, it will feel like but a moment in your life time"

"When you are gone, every moment is a life age of the earth…_ Mother_" Sir Sycamore cooed.

"Shall I sing you to sleep? That you will forget time" Vera said with a hint of concern.

"Nay, I will remain vigilant, and protect this land in lieu of you. My purpose is to serve you, and your purpose is to protect and restore this world" Sir Sycamore said honorably.

"Then a song of encouragement" Vera laughed.

"Yes… please" He simply replied

_Remain vigilant for tiredness and spies, my son_

_Sleep not again my dear, let not the enemy run_

_Let your Vigor endure, become young once more_

_Bring upon the land peace, and wane the tide of war_

The tree laughed, and it appeared as though wind blew through its flowers. Vera looked up, she realized the Sycamore had suddenly flowered.

It had beautiful pink blossoms contrasting is white limbs. One again it was whole and joyful.

"I will wait for you! Return to me" It laughed again. Vera made a solemn oath that she would return.

The following morning at the first light, the nine set out north. It was a beautiful glorious morning. The sun shone brightly as if blessing their journey. A song that was long forgotten seemed to play in the air.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: As some point in time I want to clear my schedule and do a LOTR movie marathon! It should take 18 hours or something ha…. Here is a shorter chapter… I've been having a bit of writers block

Chapter 8 : Shadow

As the King's council commenced inside the walls of the Mina's Tirith, there was as another more insidious King's Council in the trees of the Fangorn Forest. The trees, being proper historians and stenographers, took note.

Ashog the Slayer, King of the Orcs sat upon a stump. His scared and ugly pale blue face twisted into an ugly grimace. The Great Goblin King Jericho sat on the ground as no stump would hold his weight without splintering. His bone staff lay at his feet, adorned with the skull of a dead Elvish King. Beside him, "Her" the nameless Giant Spider Queen, hissed. Her eight eyes darted back and forth watchfully. They were around a fire with no flames only smoldering embers.

"Were is he? Angry ANGRY" The Spider Queen said restlessly in black speech.

Suddenly the dying embers of the fire burst into hot flames. It was not the One, for he was long dead. It was Smauke son of Plague son of Smaug, the Dragon King, the Inferno, joining the council at last. He would not make the journey physically. He attracted to much attention whenever he took flight. Besides, he was much too big to sit upon forest ground.

"We are failing. My children fear to take any treasure for the threat of death. Men building their _stupid_ little huts with wind Lances shooting their black arrows" Smauke whispered. The flames flickered blue and purple.

"Our number dwindles. My people, the proud _Uruk-hai_,lay dead. On their bodies the scent of Elves and Man Flesh" Ashog snarled. How he hated Men!

"Your Fault! Your "people" let the Ring of Power be destroyed" The Spider Queen accused

"Do not talk to me that way! Foul Fat She-Beast" Ashog growled

"Hungry HUNGRY stupid JUICY ORC" The Spider Queen bared her fangs. She was dripping with green venom.

"Silence" Smauke Demanded. They reluctantly obeyed

Now that the One was defeated, Smauke was their leader. He found it tiresome, and unnatural. When the One lived that were no such thing as rulers among them. They all served the One, with loyalty. Now there was discord, now there was fighting.

"There is a way in which we might return" Smauke said "He spoke to me about a girl, A green girl"

"Spoke, SPOKE, who dares to order us" The Spider Queen said outraged

"The one who holds up the tower of Barad-dûr, where the One watched. The Cursed Elm awakens" Smauke breathed. There was a moment of silence for the proper dramatic effect. But it was short lived.

"Why should we take orders from the Accursed Tree. He has been silent for Eons" Ashog defied.

"No, he is right, it is the girl. She is our final undoing. See what she had done to our allies, the Wargs" Jericho belched.

"Yes, where, WHERE is the Warg ALPHA, gone… mist, dust" The Spider Queen spoke forlorn.

"We will all be dust if we do not kill that Girl" Ashog agreed.

"But there is a problem. She has great power as long as she wields her scepter" Smauke whispered. The flame burned red. They all knew what was to be done.

"Then is it settled" Jericho said sticking his bone staff into the fire

"It is done" Ashog agreed. He tock his sword and joined into the fire a well.

"Done… DONE" The Spider Queen finished. She spat a single strand of silk into the flame. It did not burn but hardened into something like steel.

"Soon" Smauke said. The flame went out. _Darkness_

The Fellowship set north towards the old forest, unsuspecting of the danger to come. The enemy was preparing its last attempt. The first light of the day invited them out. Vera trotted lazily on her pony. She every so often gave it a carrot.

"Perhaps we can stop in Lothlórien along the way" Lord Elrond suggested.

He would no doubt see Galadriel again once they were there. She had much to say about the green girl.

"Do you think Galadriel will get there before us. She has yet to leave Minas Tirith" Vera asked.

"Yes, their horses are fast. In fact they are the fastest in all Middle earth. They will arrive home in two days. We might even see them pass us, but I doubt they will take this route" Elrond answered

"How long will it take us to get to Lothlórien?" Vera wondered.

"It took us two weeks to get to Gondor, it will take us one to get back up to Lothlórien" Thranduil explained

"It was the forest we saw on the way, the one filled with pale green light" Vera said recalling.

"Yes, they would be glad to have you. They think you are be able to rid their forest of spiders and foul beasts" Bard II spoke up. His own kingdom desperately need protection from the dragons. He would have to convince them to go there at some point.

They walked for a few hours until they reached the forest where the song of creation had been sung. The paradise remained.

"This was not here before" Balin explained. When he passed here last it had been a muddy Marsh filled with midge water.

"I can't remember the song that brought this forth anymore" Vera explained sheepishly. "Even if I did, I dare not invoke its power again"

"But imagine what you could do, we could go to Isengard, and clear the evil there within a hour" Bard II said astonished.

"I agree, the Fangorn Forests that surrounds Isengard has been destroyed. We should go there first before heading up to the meet Tom" Elrond spoke up.

"I have heard of this before, from the Valar, when I was across the Vale. They spoke of the fallen Istari that burned that forest" Vera suddenly recalled.

"I am curious when you speak of this Vale where the Valar live. We Elves have always thought that the Valar lived across the sea in Valinor"

"Across the Sea?" Vera said thoughtfully. She paused for a moment "Ah you mean the Island of the two trees"

"Yes! Is that was you mean when you speak of the Vale" Elrond pressed.

"Well, yes and no. In Valinor there is a passage, the Hall of Mandos, to the Vale where any can freely cross. If Elves stay in Valinor, they remain themselves immortal and forever. If they cross the Vale… they will be … reforged and must be sent back across the sea" Vera explained.

"You told me once, that the Vale was a place" Elrond asked curiously. The troupe slowly made their way northeast.

"The Vale is a place to the Maiar and the Valar, to the Eldar it is not." Vera used her hands to explain. It was impossible. How could you explain a place that was not a place.

"What is it to us then if not a place" Thranduil asked.

"Your bodies do not follow, only the essence which the Valar makes anew and send across the sea." Vera explained.

"I have watched from the pass, but have never stepped foot on to Valinor" Vera said. This was true, had she did, she would have heard the stories of the wars. Though she might have also learned about Elven manners.

"Why not?" Thranduil asked. He wondered what Eldar lived in Valinor, perhaps his wife was there. The thought made him happy and sad at the same time.

"The Valar did not think it wise of me to do so. They thought songs of sadness might corrupt me. Though I am already corrupted, burdened with guilt all the same" Vera sighed.

"Don't not be so sad Vera, you have come to set things right. We will help you correct your indiscretions" Thranduil said cheerfully.

"Where is the Woodland King and what have you done with him" Elrond thought. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"So you do not know any of the Eldar in Valinor" Thranduil inquired. The Elves that had lost ones to death hoped they would be there.

"Sadly no" Vera confided.

"What of the those that cross into the Vale?" Elrond inquired. Everyone's ears perked up. Vera paused for a long moment, looking for the right words.

"I know them, but they are not how you know them" Vera finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"They are Elves no longer, they become… _clay_ again… and we make them into something else" Vera said. She worked her hands around some invisible clay.

"Have you met Celebrían?" Elrond pressed.

"No, I have not, she must still be in Valinor" Vera said surely.

"How about …" Thranduil leaned into Vera's ear. It was very obvious he was speaking of his wife. Vera searched her memory. "Yes… she did not sail to Valinor, she came by spirit. She was reforged nearly three thousand hundred years ago."

"Where is she then, if she was reforged so close to when she was taken?" Thranduil said heatedly. He recalled the day when his wife had passed. It was laced with unbearable pain.

"You… don't understand" Vera sighed exasperated.

"Where is she NOW?" Thranduil asked angrily.

Vera remembered that particular order.

_Close to the one I love, ever watchful_

_Among the hidden for I am bashful_

_Tall and beautiful radiant and strong_

_Steady feet, with limbs quite long_

_Always evergreen never dying_

_Unspoken words and song bird's sighing_

_Return me to my love once more_

_But let me not feel the wrath of war_

_Let me stand above all others ageless_

_With loveliness refined and gracious_

_With tethers that bring, and ties that bind_

_Let me return back to my own in kind_

_Witness my son young of heart_

_With games that hide that I will start_

_Let me help his bow aim true_

_Hid him from enemies that pursue_

_In season I will be of perfect balance_

_In all things I will lack any malice_

She thought that by her order she would be another Galadriel. The Valar were far too humorous for that. Although interestingly enough Galadriel had only asked of this during her forging.

_Let me be enough to protect those that I love_

Thranduil's wife was not made into an immortal powerful and beautiful Elf maid as she hoped.

"She is the _tree_ that grows by your bedroom window" Vera said remembering the long forgotten order.

Thranduil had always been particularly fond of that tree. He always hated that Legolas practiced his archery on it when he was young.

"I can hear trees speak, why did she not say anything to me?" Thranduil wondered.

"It is probably quite painful to be so close and yet so far away from the one you love" Vera said. Then she looked far off remembering her own "long lost" who happened to be a tree as well.

"It must hard for her to be a tree" Thranduil said sadly. He looked over at Vera for some offer of condolence. She complied.

"It is not a terrible thing, to be a tree" Vera exclaimed. The trees around laughed and agreed. They quite liked being trees. They were great philosophers, witnesses, and historians. They also sang beautiful songs to those that could listen.

"Why would the Valar do this?" Thranduil asked forlorn

"The Valar would never create something for its misery. I imagine she is quite happy in the end. Her desire to be impervious to war and hunger has been honored to no end" Vera explained. She was right. The tree in question was quite content.

They traveled three days until they reached the edge of the Forlorn Forest, oh sorry I meant Fangorn of course. It looked dark and sick, like a scab never properly healed. A cool wind seemed to blow them away from it, forebodingly.

It was then that the shadow on the sun appeared. A great winged beast of enormous proportions blackened the sky.

Thranduil was not easily shaken, as I mentioned before. But as he saw the beast approach, he became white with fear. _A Dragon? No it was The Dragon._


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Thanks to TheThingsThatMakeMeAlsoBreakMe, who is the singular reason why haven't given up hope on this fic! You rock!

Also it's the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year) which is why I have been absent for the last few days. Spending time with the family

Chapter 9 : Inferno

It blotted out the sun with its terrific large wings. Sinister spikes and spines protruded from various parts of its body. Unlike Smaug, Smauke was perfect. Every scale was in place, every space encrusted with precious gems. Its hide was tougher than plated reinforced mithril armor. Its huge charcoal body seemed to fill the sky. Its blood red eyes seemed to command all gazes.

Smauke took a deep breath, his belly glowed honey yellow. He breathed out a bright blue flame into the air. It wasn't aiming for anything particularly. It was like he was signaling for something. Because he was. Following the blue flame, there was the sound of quick marching.

"Fall back now" Thranduil demanded. He felt a dreaded knot in his stomach

They saw the forest in the distance. They turned to run, but it was hopeless. A line of spiders came out first. They were followed by a battalion of Orcs. Then the goblins appeared behind them. In the sky two more dragons appeared out of Smauke's shadow. Truly every last member of the remnant resistance was there and in combination they were hardly considered a 'remnant' at all.

Their sole goal was to disarm the girl, and capture her. The Accursed Elm had plans for her. They needed a new fallen Istari to lead their cause, a new person to sit on the throne of Barad-dûr. Sauron was slain, Saruman impaled, Radagast hardly a candidate. But the girl, she had light and darkness, bravery and fear. She could be swayed as she had been once before.

"Bring her to me, and we will arise anew from the ashes of our defeat. We will have the last victory" The Elm hummed.

Cynder flanked Smauke on his right side. He was a head shorter then Smauke. He was bright green with pale blue eyes. He blew a yellow flame into the air. Immediately the spiders charged forward. Whysp flanked Smauke on the left. He was the smallest of the three, a whole wing length shorter than Smauke. He blew an orange flame. The Goblins and Orcs charged on cue.

The nine gave up their running, they would face their demise with bravery. They surrounded Vera on all sides, hoping to protect her for as long as they possibly could. Vera refused the protection and took the lead. She lit a bright light with her scepter. The Spiders momentarily fell back. They hated that light.

But, the onslaught would come. It would not be stopped.

It was then that the Giant Eagles made their convenient appearance. As they always liked to save the day at the last second. They thought it would make them sound better in the songs, but it really made them sound like tardy silly late comers.

They had Elves on their backs. The Elves of Lothlórien had come to even the odds. To lead their charge, none other than the lady of light, Galadriel. She raised her hand. When she lowered it the Eagles dove downwards, dropping large rocks on the enemy. The remnant did not expect this much of a battle, they were surprised.

Smauke dived into the flock of Eagles. He shot a purple flame at them. They swiftly eluded the flame by the length of their partially singed feathers. They then flew around the great beast in an arrow head formation. Whysp and Cynder covered Smauke as he landed. They kept the Eagles off his tail, literally.

His goal was to get to the girl and take off with her. She still had her scepter and it was defining the battle. The Spiders and Orcs retreated from it. Smauke, however, was not afraid of the light. He marched forward. He breathed heated flames at any who crossed his path. They quickly retreated from his breath. The Girl finally came into his view.

The eight set themselves around her despite her reluctance. Balin, Bard and Elrond dealt with the Spiders flanking the left side of them. Merry, Pippen and Mellon aggressively tore at the Orcs coming from the north. Éomer and Thranduil struck down any Goblins coming nearing them on the right. The Dragon approached on the right.

Thranduil was in his way, barring him from to her. Smauke forced an exceedingly scaulding flame to brew in his belly. It was then that a foolish Goblin shot an arrow directly at Vera's heart. Again I should remind you that Goblins are notoriously bad shots. He was actually aiming for an Éomer six feet away from himself.

Thranduil did not see it for he had his face turned to the Dragon. It was the Smauke that saw it all. It was not the plan, it was not the victory they wanted. It would be a far greater victory for them then the mere slaying of the girl.

In a swift motion, he swung his massive tale past Thranduil. Thranduil turned to see what the tail was aiming for. He was beyond surprised at what he witnessed. An arrow directly aimed for Vera's heart stopped short, being deflected by Smauke's spiked tail.

"What in the name of the Valar?" Thranduil managed to utter. That didn't make sense at all. Thranduil couldn't understand why Smauke had saved the girl. In that moment he realized how little he knew of the enemy.

Everything happened so fast after that. Smauke released a flame that could melt steel right at Thranduil. Vera caught sight of this and stepped in front. She raised her scepter to hold back the flames.

"Go back foul beast. You will not… you will not…. YOU SHALL NOT PASS" Vera screamed. (Istari are rather theatrical)

The force however was too great, the scepter withstood for a moment then flung to the side out of Vera's hand. Smauke with his great claw, sensing that the girl was disarmed, snatched her up.

Smauke took flight again. No amount of arrows would return her to them. He had won. Then all three dragons blew out bright white flames. _Victory_.

The Elves continued to fight, but the enemy quickly retreated back into the forest. The Elves had thought that they had won, but then Galadriel saw Thranduil fall to his knees.

"What is wrong?" She asked panicked.

"She's gone, they took her" Thranduil managed to say, face in hands.

The Elves had been defeated. Perhaps that word was too kind, they had been ruined, decimated, and destroyed. _All was lost, mist, dust._

-**Three days later in the ruins of Barad-dûr** -

Vera awoke. Her eyes fluttered open. The scene before her was right out of the shadows of her nightmares. She had been captured again. It was a dark and dank little chamber that she was stuck in. It smelt of blood and fear. She struggled to lift her hands, realizing she had been chained up to the floor. She thought that she was all alone.

Memories of the last time she was captured entered her mind. The most prominent feature was the hot pokers that they stuck her with. Or perhaps it was the jeering faces of her captors. Or the unbearable loneliness that she felt when they forgot about her, leaving her cold decimated body to rot.

She fought with her emotions. She tried hard to fight them back. She would not cry despite the overwhelming urge to. She instead took a shaky breath. _I will not fail this time_

"I will not repeat my mistake. I will die if I must" Vera said with a will of Iron.

"You made me….and hated me. Now I will unmake you" A deep voice said.

"Who's there" Vera said into the darkness. Her voice shook with fear.

"Don't you recognize me… _Mother_?" The Elm spoke. It said the word mother with hatred.

Vera recognized it at last. It was the voice of the Accursed one. She closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself.

"I had greatly hoped that you were dead" She said as strongly as she could muster.

The Accursed Tree responded angrily and venomously. It had lived a conflicted live, spurned by its creator, reviled by its own purpose.

"IS THAT ANYWAY TO SPEAK TO YOUR CHILD" He cried out. He was bitter and angry. How was he to go on, all he had left was the hope for revenge.

"Did you greet my brothers alike? I doubt it. You probably lulled them with songs of love." He accused. "They are no more worthy than me. I deserved your love and I will have it soon enough"

"You will never have me" Vera said. It was not the voice of one arguing with another, it was voice of one absolutely adamantly sure.

"We shall see" The Elm answered. His voice equally adamant.

The troupe and elves managed to regroup in Lothlórien, sans their most important member. Thranduil didn't make any attempt to speak with anyone. He took all the blame upon himself. Though in truth, each of them had done the same. Mellon would ever so often let a whimper escape, it betrayed his true feelings. He knew what it was like to be a captive of others, at their whim and mercy. He was beyond sad at the situation.

Besides that, it was a quiet trip, the slow precession of the defeated.

They didn't suffer any losses surprisingly. A few were hit with arrows, a few sustained wounds of the sword, a few had spider bites. Yet luckily, in the end, not one life was lost. They thought it lucky but in fact it was because they misunderstood the goal of the remnant. The enemy had wanted the girl all along.

When they made it to Lothlórien, what remained of the nine joined in a council chamber. They had to have a plan. There must have been a way to restore what was lost. It was a grievous feeling in the air.

"Where could they have taken her" Galadriel asked, seated at the head of the council.

Bah, these council meetings were useless. There was nothing to be done.

"She is lost, there is no victory for us" Elrond said sadly.

"Why did they not simply kill her? They instead kidnapped her. What could be the meaning behind that?" Balin asked. He was truly as worthy as Thorn II Oakenshield, as I had stated previously.

"I think our enemy has had a greater goal since the beginning" Galadriel began "I have seen in the waters, two paths. One in light and the other in shadows"

All eyes focused on her.

"Their plan is to seat her upon the throne of Barad-dûr. She is not like Sauron and Sarumon. If she is to take their place among the fallen, she will not fail. She will defeat us" Galadriel said gravely.

"Why did we not lock her up in the first place! Such a threat she possesses!" Bard II loudly claimed. Men are quite short sighted.

"It was because I believed in the second path. If she takes the mantle of good, she will not fail. What darkness remains will be forever purged. We have everlasting peace. I took that chance" Galadriel defended.

"How shall we reclaim her. Mordor is a fortress" Elrond said sternly

"It has been done before, and we can do it again" Balin said bravely.

"Yea, well get her back" Pippen belted.

"No matter what!" Merry blasted.

They spoke hearty words, but in truth their hearts felt little of the strength of it. They had just been to war, it had hardly been two years. They had hoped there would be peace and prosperity. Many Elves were considering to have children again. This was a hard blow.

Every remained sullen and silent for a long moment. Then they heard whistling in the hall. It grew louder and louder. It was accompanied by heavy footsteps. The doors to the room opened. Many faces lit up at the sight of the newcomer. Perhaps not all was lost after all.

In the doorway, the silhouette of Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Promise

Tom Bombadil as always wore a blue coat with yellow rain boots. His wife Goldberry wore a shimmering dress, that one could swear was made from water and snowflakes. One always followed the other, since the very beginning. Well actually, in the very beginning it was the three of them together. So really they were missing one. Of course you know this already.

"Hello" Tom said. He was not the one whistling. For one cannot talk and whistle at the same time. Another appeared behind him.

It was Radagast the Brown followed by a lovely Blue Jay. Her chirping filled the air.

"What's all this?" Galadriel wondered. She bowed respectfully to Tom, the one who was older than even she.

"Hello Gilly" Tom said cheerfully. You can imagine how much older Tom was than Galadriel if he referred to her as "Gilly".

"It is my honor _Iarwain Ben-adar" _Galadriel replied most reverently. She addressed him with the highest title she could. _Eldest and Fatherless._

The newcomers all took a seat. There happened to be just enough empty chairs for them, as if this was fate. Radagast continued his chirping. The Blue Jay landed on the long table where the chairs were housed.

A few at the table understood bird song. Bard, Balin, Éomer, Mellon, Merry and Pippen were not among those that did. They simply had to guess what the whistling was about. The following conversation was all in bird song, or to the untrained ear, whistling. It looked rather comical to see so many regal faces whistle so ferverntly. Merry had to stifle down a chuckle.

"Greetings, I am Swift-Winged, I am honored to be here" Swift-Winged, Queen regent of the Blue Jays tweeted. She was a beautiful bird. Most blue jays had random white and black markings on their feathers. There was nothing random about this creature. She had an intricate black ringlet encircling her head, with white marks that resembled flowers decorating it. Even to the untrained eye, it looked as though she wore a exquisite floral crown. Tiny white marks resembling daisies speckled upon the blue of her wings. Though, her beauty it was marred by her sad eyes.

"Where is your husband, the King, Bright-Tailed?" Galadriel asked. She knew of the Blue Jay plight, and how there was turmoil in their kingdom.

"Bright-Tailed has been struck down by the enemy, It will be many days before he will regain his strength. His wings were broken by an Orc horde" Swift-Winged chirped sadly.

"I am most sorry to hear that" Galadriel condoled. Swift-Winged fluttered her feathers, her chest flared out.

"I am not here for your comfort. I am here to fight the enemy. I am here to champion the glories return. I am here to save my flock" Swift-Winged sang sternly. Galadriel simply nodded.

"She has offered herself as a messenger. You know that jays are the most stealthy birds in all of Middle Earth. We can discern the enemy's plan and get messages to and from Vera" Radagast twittered brightly.

"We will be able to keep Vera from losing her spirit while I amass an attack on the Barad-dûr" Tom whistled. His feet swung under his chair. Never underestimate the power of a few kind words. It gives unequivocal strength to endure. A few choice words can be the greatest aid in a fight

"What kind of attack are you thinking of?" Elrond whistled. His face was even more stern than usual. He did not like whistling, he thought it unbecoming.

"Not one soldier shall be slain. I will call upon the spirits of the water, air, and land to take up the gauntlet. The very forces of nature will be our army. We will regain our friend" Goldberry whistled whimsically.

"We must know what the odds are" Tom asked, he was already strategizing.

"Who has her scepter?" Goldberry clarified.

"They do" Elrond reluctantly said.

"Then we have not even a week to make the march" Goldberry said blanching.

"We must make it there in two days" Tom twittered.

"No, we have three, remember the scepter is not her strength, It has always been the song" Goldberry reminded her husband.

"You are right, we have three days. We will leave this very hour" Tom finished

"I will take flight this very moment, what message do you want me to get to her?" Swift-Winged asked.

Tom thought for a moment, he searched the deep longings of his heart for it. The long forlorn wish was mirrored in Goldberry's heart. It was the day that they said good bye, Vera had made them a promise.

"Tell her this" Tom finally said

_I have seen the starlit queen, sliver light upon thy leaf_

_Mischief brews under moons! She smiles but very brief_

_My lady and lad are but a bit sad! I say goodbye my darlings!_

_I'll be back my dear in a year, walking under wild starlings!_

Vera would remember her promise to them. Tom and Goldberry would not let her forget it. They hoped that it would give her strength. _Return to us._

Pippen sighed…. "Yea I didn't get any of that" he watched the bird fly right out the window. He blew a long winded exasperated whistle.

**Meanwhile in the Ruins of Barad-dûr, the awakened evil stirred.**

Smauke eyed the scepter with caution. The tree had told him how to use it. How much power was stored in that little tooth pick… gave him the shivers.

"Go on… take it" The Elm encouraged. The scepter laid at the dragons feet untouched. He did not want to be destroyed by it.

"I do not understand why I must take this risk" Smauke deflected.

"I will need someone to be my hands. You must be the one to carry out my will. You certainly can't do that in your current state" The Elm commanded.

"Why can't some Goblin carry out those commands" Smauke evaded.

"When it comes to her, I trust no one else. You must be the one, you are my general, and my successor. Take the scepter and shed your reluctance" The Elm coaxed.

Smauke sighed and tentatively placed his giant claw upon the scepter. He felt the power flow into his body like nothing else.

Vera could hear them speaking. He knew that the dragon was outside from the conversation. She couldn't see them though, since her cell lacked any windows. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness. Her arms and legs were bruised from the metal chains that held her to the floor. Besides that she had yet to suffer anything else.

She was frightened of what they were planning. What could be worse than the torture she endured the time before when she was first captured? But they didn't seem keen on repeating that, instead they seemed to be holding out for something worse. Vera shuddered. What could be worse?

"Whatever they are planning, I will fight it" Vera said to herself. After her ordeal with the Orcs, she no longer felt that the scepter was her power. She knew it was her inner strength drawing from the ones that cared for her. She would not fail this time, she would not bend.

A blinding light filled the room. Vera's eyes began to tear up. A boy stood in the doorway holding her scepter. She blinked rapidly as the features of the boy came into focus.

This boy had dark crystalline red eyes and jet black hair. On the skin of his cheeks, there was the faint imprint of scales akin to a reptiles. He smiled and had unnaturally sharp incisors. Vera knew that it not a boy but the dragon that stood there. It was using her scepter to change its form. Vera felt her heart quicken.

"Liar, illusionist, and swindler. What is the meaning of this?" Vera spat.

The boy did not … sorry, I mean the Dragon did not answer her. The Elm answered her instead.

"Do you know what today is?" The Accursed One Asked. Vera didn't care what day it was.

"Durin's Day?" Vera asked bitterly… "Sunday?". She was in a sour mood. She kept an eye on the boy. He had yet to make a move from the doorway.

"TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY" The Elm yelled enraged. If he had any leaves, they would have surely turned red from anger. He however did not. He was a barren, gnarled and ugly tree that grew around and in the tower of Barad-dûr. Hardly a ray of sunlight touched his branches. The tree beat down his anger and laughed. He would not let the girl make him angry.

"You should remember something like that" The Elm said, he managed a mirthless laugh.

"I will surely remember the day that you die. I will celebrated it with zeal" Vera said poisonously.

"Such vile words, I should expect as much from the future Queen of Mordor" The Elm said, casually revealing his intentions.

Vera laughed, again a "Ha!" lacking all joy

"Is that what you are after? You're going to be sorely disappointed" Vera said. The boy make a step into the room. Vera, unwillingly flinched, showing her fear.

"Take off _the Queen's_ chains" The Elm commanded. Smauke tucked the scepter into his shirt. Then he cautiously eyed the girl.

"If you make any move against me, you will regret it" Smauke said. His voice was not like the dragon's anymore, a voice of fire. His voice had a deep timber but was smooth. He was all smoke now. Such as all illusion is.

Smauke took out a key and freed Vera from her chains. Despite her dire situation, Vera felt a moment of joy from being free of the chains. Her arms and legs felt light again. She sighed.

Then she lunged at the boy in the hopes of retrieving her scepter and escaping. It looked for a moment that she had the upper hand. Unfortunately, the boy was too strong. He had the strength of a dragon king as well as the scepter. He quickly pinned Vera down by her shoulders. She tried to claw away at him but her hands couldn't reach far enough. His strength was iron. He applied enough pressure to keep her still but not enough to hurt her. The accursed Elm was correct in choosing his will-bearer. The Dragon had intelligence and restraint.

The boy smirked at his victory over the girl. His hair fell over his eyes, shading the two mysterious crystal red orbs. The smirk puckered the boys cheek revealing something strange. Upon the faint scaled cheek was a dimple, inviting and odd.

Before I continue, I feel as though I need to tell you something important. Smauke was certainly not the first Dragon Vera ever met. You might remember that Vera had a dragon's eyelash on her scepter, she had somehow accumulated it during her journey. I should briefly tell you the tale of how that came to be.

The first Dragon that Vera met was also the one that burned her. They did not start out as enemies but as friends. The Dragon had loved her at first glance. She did not feel the same. She was not looking for a Dragon to be her companion but a Child of Nature. The Dragon joined the Goblins and Orcs out of hurt. In the end he was the one that with flame of wrath that forced her to plant the accursed tree. Vera burned and battered was rescued finally by the Ainur. The Dragon hated Vera, and also…. conflicted would be the best word for it. For when the Ainur took her from him, he would have done anything to retrieve her. It is such a thin wispy line between loving and hating one.

I tell you this because it now colors the reason for Vera's feelings about this Dragon-Boy that kept her prisoner.

She fought him with all her strength. It did not make even a chink in his armor. He was strong and powerful like none other. Vera's struggles died down, she sighed in defeat. The Dragon look at the Girl for a moment longer then set her upon her feet.

"Will you be good now, Green girl?" Smauke asked amused. Vera looked away from him but nodded.

She could not look at the boy anymore. In her heart she could not deny it. She though the boy was the most beautiful creature that she had ever laid eyes on. _Dark and Lovely_

Author's Note: Okay… so…. Maybe a little Romance…. I mean what's Adventure without a little bit of Romance. But I am still adamant about this being an Adventure tale.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Birthday

"Where are you taking me?" Vera asked. The Boy did not turn to answer her, instead he kept walking.

Goblin guards lined the halls under order of the Elm. As Vera passed they would bow as if she was Queen. She scoffed, she would never be their Queen. She never felt less like a queen, adorned in the burlap sack of a prisoner.

"Today is the Accursed Tree's Birthday, I am going to help you get ready" Smauke answered. He opened a door. Inside there was room of unexpected pleasantness. The roots of the accursed tree did not grow in here because there was sunlight. It was much like a hobbit hole, filled with comforts of home.

Vera walked in, well more like she was shoved in. Smauke closed the door, locking the two of them inside the room. Vera turned back trying to fight her way back out. The Dragon caught her by the arm, and again pined her by the shoulder against the wall. She was ferocious and dangerous as any dragoness in his opinion.

"Relax, you are not a prisoner anymore, I am just here to help you get ready for the celebration tonight" Smauke said soothingly. Again his lovely alizarin crimson eyes kept her pinned to the wall. She lost the will to fight him. He sensed her body slacken and released her. She brushed her shoulders off.

"What do you think the Elm's plans could be? Have me become the Queen of Mordor? Or perhaps satisfy his sick twisted fantasy of playing house? What do you think?" Vera spat.

Smauke flinched. The girl was right, this was not way to go about things. If he were in charge, Vera would still be a cell. He wouldn't be throwing a party.

"That's above my pay grade" Smauke finally said. But he couldn't help agreeing with the girl.

He forced the girl into a cushioned chair. Then he picked up a brush and began to brush out Vera's tangles from her back. She had a thick blanket of messy black curls. She visually shuddered at his touch. Her cheeks turned red, and she was glad he could not see her face.

"And what of you, being an obedient a drone? You think you will be his King, hardly! He plans to make me his queen. And you, Dragon King will become a servant boy" Vera said vexingly. Smauke tugged hard at the brush, yanking her hair.

"Ow" Vera cursed.

"And how do you know I am a Dragon King? And if I am? Then you would know I wouldn't settle to be a but a servant boy!" Smauke breathed heated smoke at her. Yet he was at this very moment performing the tasks of a servant boy.

Vera turned to look at him in anger. That was a mistake, for his dark mysterious loveliness impaled her senses. Her eyes widened for a fraction.

"I know a Dragon King when I see one, I have seen your kind before" Vera answered, her voice lacking any fury. She turned back in her seat.

"I am finished" Smauke finally said. Her hair was free from twigs and leaves. It looked glossy and dark as midnight.

In the middle of the room, there was a small tub filled with cold water. There was enough space for the girl.

"You can go now, I can take care of this myself" Vera said pushing him out. The boy did not move

"You have escaped two fortresses in your time here, the word travels far. I would not allow myself five feet from you" Smauke chuckled.

"Well then, I guess I can go without a bath. This water is cold anyway. What's next on your checklist" Vera folded her arms abstinently.

Smauke did not skip things on checklists. He would have thrown her in clothes and all but he decided against it. It was not way to treat this brat Queen. He felt the fire brewing his belly. He shot a flame at the water. It bubbled up and steamed.

It was now warm verging on hot. It was a murky color, and smelled vaguely like flowers.

"Happy?" Smauke asked.

"I am not going to bathe with you looking at me" Vera said. Smauke rolled his glorious crimson eyes and turned his back to the water.

"Keep talking so I know you're not trying to escape" Smauke demanded.

"How would I escape, climb out the window and scale down a hundred feet?" Vera asked.

"Yes" Smauke simply said. It was not beyond her. She shook off her clothing. She did want to bathe, rather desperately.

Things were silent. Smauke could hear breathing but did not turn his head.

"Keep talking" Smauke said impatiently.

"What should I say? That you are a fool for obeying the accursed tree?" Vera said.

"Something else" Smauke scoffed.

Vera did not respond. He could hear her breathing and the water moving. But that could be a trick, she could definitely pull that off.

"Keep talking…. Now" Smauke said more forcefully, hearing her get up from the water.

"I think I should apologize to you" Vera finally said. He could hear her shuffling around.

"There is a dress in the wardrobe, the Elm wants you to wear that" Smauke indicated "What do you have to apologize for? Everything?"

"I have been more than polite especially since you are holding me captive. No I meant that I should apologize for the fact that you might not have been in your situation if not for me" Vera tried to explain as she put on the black lacy gown.

"This is a dreadful dress" Vera added. It was not a dreadful dress, if would have been beautiful in any other color, but it was dark inky black. Though, it was light and airy with roses patterning the lace.

"What do you mean by situation" Smauke asked curiously.

"Am I supposed to wear this hideous jewelry as well" Vera asked. There was a necklace and ring both adorned with obsidian and onyx. Was this a funeral or a birthday party? To Vera it felt like a funeral either way.

"Yes! Now what do you mean about _my situation_" Smauke hissed refusing to be distracted. Why did the girl provoke him so?

"I broke the heart of the first dragon king, and he turned to the dark because of it. If I had accepted his heart, he would have been counted among the good and honorable" Vera said simply.

"I think you are lying" Smauke said dubiously. He felt a drop of mirth bubble in his chest, the humor of such a thing was not lost on him. The girl breaking the heart of a dragon, seemed laughable.

"Look at the scepter, there is a dragon's eyelash on it" Vera said calmly. She did not sound like a liar. Smauke tentatively took the scepter from his shirt and examined it. There was a dragon's lash on it as she said.

"I can't believe any dragon would fall in love you" Smauke said. His voice was dripping with sincerity and malice.

"I am ready" Vera replied. Smauke turned around.

Vera was a vision of loveliness. The black dress she wore perfectly offset the rosy undertones in her skin. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Her startlingly wide green eyes looked straight into his crimson ones. He lost his words. He could only stare at the perfect gem of the night sky that she was. _A Queen, Dark and Beautiful. Lovely and Terrible._

"Are you going to stand there all day" Vera asked, feeling her skin heat under his appraisal.

What had he said about doubting that a dragon could love her, that seemed so foolish now. He found himself unable to reply. Slowly his cheek began to redden. He turned around and opened the door, hoping the girl did not see that. She did. It was hard not to notice a perfect dimpled cheek turning rosy.

The boy took her to an outdoor court yard. Despite being outdoors, there was not a ray of sunlight to be shed.

Orcs and Goblins sat at tables perfectly still. They did not understand parties or merry making. They all tentatively nursed their drinks and food. It was really much more like a funeral than a party. It was perfectly silent save the clattering of cups.

"Sit here" Smauke commanded.

Vera took the seat of honor. Four Orcs were there to 'guard' her. The boy disappeared back into the tower.

"I am glad that you are here" A voice spoke, it was the Elm. His roots sprawled across the floor but his trunk hidden in the rock.

"I didn't have any choice" Vera spat venomously. The Elm ignored her protests.

"Eat" he commanded,

"I would rather not eat this poison" Vera continued to be sour.

"THEN STARVE" The Elm hissed. How the girl could make him angry like no other. Vera remained silent.

The Orcs did as well feeling out of place. They listened to the conversation between the Elm and Vera cautiously.

"I remember the day you planted me well, and the song you sang me" The Elm finally said. Vera remembered it as well. She remembered most the pain of her blistered skin on that day. The dragons fire had done terrible things to her.

"Sing me a song" The Elm commanded.

"I'd rather die" Vera spat.

The boy returned dressed in fine clothing fit for a party. Vera eyed him curiously as he took the seat beside her. The boy felt his heart beating rapidly. What was this strange feeling? Wistful and wonderful at the same time.

"Make her sing" The Elm commanded the Boy. He felt a shudder run through his body. He did not want to harm the girl anymore. Vera looked at him and raised her hands in defense. He looked at her with a guarded expression. He slowly took her hand, and gently placed a kiss on her wrist.

The kiss of a dragon was synonymous with a kiss of fire. There was nothing about a dragon that was not fire. The kiss of fire ran through her veins like an elixir, it set her blood aflame. The blush reappeared on her cheeks

"Sing" The Dragon asked. Vera pulled her hand away. She turned her eyes away from the boy. She felt like a startled doe. She could not stop the song in her heart, it welled up.

_Embers and Flames, Fire and Smoke _

_The Calamity of my heart that you first spoke_

_Loveliness veiled in the mysterious beyond_

_You have set me free from chain and bond_

_Midnight Hair and Crimson Eyes, _

_Great rift in me that I cannot despise._

_A King, and lovely boy I yearn to keep,_

_Light and Dark tremulous I lose and weep._

Vera finished her song. Smauke could not tear his eyes away from the girl.

It was a love song. But it was more than any love song he had ever heard. It unmade him, whatever evil that bound itself to him relinquished its hold. The snare of evil finally surrendered his spirit. He was free

The Orcs and Goblins burst into cheers, finally understanding the concept of merry making. The grip of darkness momentarily loosened on them.

The Elm however felt fury from the root to the furthest branch. Vera _loved_ the boy but could not love him.

"Step away from her NOW. Orcs, take her back to her cell" The Elm demanded. The Tower of Barad-dûr shook, dust and rock began to fall. The Orcs stopped their cheers. They looked at each other confused.

Vera looked into Smauke's eyes. They were unsure of what to do. Vera took the boys face into her hands.

The Orcs and Goblins were coming to the senses and forgetting the song once more. They didn't have any weapons though. The closest two Orcs shook the whimsy from their heads and stood up. They had to bring the girl back to her cell. That was the order.

Vera hesitated for a moment trying to pick the right words. She looked at him, pleading.

"Set me free" She whispered urgently. How could he save her? He didn't have the strength to overcome the Elm's will. But the girls eyes were so desperate. This was the crossroads that would define him forever. Would he save the girl, or obey the will of another? Did he have enough willpower?

He looked in himself for the strength. He found it.

He handed her the scepter. A powerful tornado of smoke and mist covered the boy. Vera was blown back five paces. The Orcs shielded their eyes.

Once the dust fell away, they could see that he was the Dragon again. The Orgs fell back.

"Get on" Smauke Commanded. Vera climbed the length of his wing onto his back. With a tremendous beat of his wings they were in the air. The Orcs had no weapons, no arrows to shoot down the dragon. They didn't have any black arrows or wind lances strong enough to pierce the dragons hide anyway.

Wind blew in Vera's hair. She let out a laugh. It was fully of mirth and excitement

"We're free" She said. The Dragon King found himself completely agreeing with her. He was for the first time in his life, free.

He breathed a _green_ flame into the air. Then he laughed a hearty deep laugh.

The blue jay queen witnessed all of this in the shadows. Though she thought something entirely different about the events. She didn't hear what was being said, she could only surmise by sight

The Jay Queen saw Vera laughing and merry making among the Orcs, and then take flight with the Dragon. The Orcs didn't try to stop them, they merely stood looking bewildered (But Orcs look rather stupid all the time). Vera did not look like a prisoner at all, she looked like their queen.

She thought that Vera had turned dark and that she was on her way to attack Lothlórien. The Jay turned back to warn Tom and Goldberry. That is quite a misunderstanding, that is why we should learn not to assume things.

Author's Note: I want to get back to the cannon characters now. Expect them all to be in the next chapter, but thank you guys for indulging me! And again another special thanks to TheThingsThatMakeMeAlsoBreakMe for diligently reviewing every chapter :D!


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